In a chilling turn of events, more than ten years after a gruesome homicide, a Texas real estate agent now finds herself detained without the possibility of bail, accused of capital murder. The shocking revelation has sent ripples through the community.
On July 17, Mayra Velasquez, 42, was apprehended and charged with the murder of Irasema Chavez, as revealed by records from the Tarrant County Corrections Center and Arlington Police Department.
The tragic incident dates back to January 20, 2012, when Chavez, then 32, was discovered lifeless in her apartment on South Collins Street. Investigators noted the absence of any forced entry, suggesting that Chavez might have been acquainted with or trusted her killer enough to open the door willingly.
Velasquez’s arrest marks a significant development in this cold case, with the 42-year-old formally charged with Chavez’s brutal murder over a decade after the crime.
Further insights came from a surveillance video procured by KDFW-TV, captured just before Chavez’s body was found. The footage shows a shadowy figure clad in loose-fitting attire and a hoodie, ascending the stairs to Chavez’s residence. After a brief interaction at the doorstep, the individual was seen entering her apartment.
Police released the video in hopes the public could identify the visitor, but the shadowy image failed to produce the break detectives needed. The case eventually went cold.
Irasema Chavez was found stabbed to death inside her South Collins Street apartment on Jan. 20, 2012, with roughly 100 knife wounds, according to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth. (KDFW-TV)
Investigators did, however, recover blood from the crime scene that did not belong to Chavez.
In 2016, Arlington police worked with Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to analyze the unknown DNA. The company used DNA phenotyping technology to produce a composite predicting the person’s likely appearance, including long brown hair and Latino ancestry.
Still, no firm suspect emerged.
Arlington police eventually partnered with Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs to construct a predicted profile of the suspect from scene DNA, though the resulting composite led to no initial breakthroughs. (KDFW-TV)
The case gained new life in November 2024, when Arlington police brought it to the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and sought help from the bureau’s investigative genetic genealogy program. That process produced what authorities described as a significant lead earlier this year.
Detectives then gathered additional evidence and obtained a warrant for Velasquez, police said.
Authorities have not released what evidence confirmed the genealogy lead, whether investigators obtained a direct DNA comparison from Velasquez or if she knew Chavez.
Velasquez had worked locally as a real estate agent for years, often promoting property listings on her social media accounts. (KDFW-TV)
Velasquez had worked locally as a real estate agent for years, posting property listings on her social media accounts.
Her Texas real estate license remained active as of Monday, and state records listed her with Pure Realtors LLC, KDFW-TV reported. News Media has reached out to the company for comment.
Mayra Velasquez smiling in a photo in Mexico and in London. (Facebook/Mayra Velasquez)
Velasquez’s social media account captured the real estate agent gallivanting on trips with family and friends following the alleged murder.
Photos showed her smiling on trips to Peru, Mexico, Paris and London.
Tarrant County’s inmate database lists Velasquez’s charge as “capital murder by terror threat/other felony.”
Arlington police and the FBI are expected to address the arrest during a joint news conference Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. CST. News Media has reached out to Velasquez’s attorney for comment.