CRIME & JUSTICE REPORT — A licensed Texas real estate agent who spent over a decade traveling the globe, building a career, and raising a family has been arrested and charged with capital murder in connection with a gruesome 2012 cold case.
Mayra Velasquez, 42, was taken into custody without incident by the Arlington Police Department (APD). Authorities allege that Velasquez was responsible for the brutal slaying of 32-year-old Irasema Chavez, who was found stabbed approximately 100 times inside her Arlington apartment on January 20, 2012.
Velasquez, who was 27 at the time of the killing, was captured on nearby surveillance video walking toward Chavez’s front door wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie. She is currently being held at the Tarrant County Jail after being denied bond.
Top inset: Mayra Velasquez (Facebook). Bottom left inset: Mayra Velasquez (Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office). Bottom right inset: Irasema Chavez (Arlington Police Department). Background: Surveillance footage released by police in Texas that allegedly shows Mayra Velasquez entering Irasema Chavez’s home before stabbing her 100 times (APD/YouTube).
A Gruesome Scene Frozen in Time
The scene of the crime was discovered by Chavez’s teenage niece, Linda Yesenia Valdez, who was dropped off at the second-floor residence shortly after the attack.
“Everything was stained, soaked with blood,” Valdez recalled in a 2018 interview. “I wanted to see what had happened because I saw a lot of blood, even the white walls were covered. And then I saw her, face down.”
For years, detectives pursued numerous leads but were unable to pinpoint a definitive suspect. The 2012 surveillance footage provided only partial views of the suspect from behind and the side.
However, forensic technicians recovered a key piece of evidence from a nightstand inside Chavez’s home: a single drop of blood belonging to an unknown female who had no established relation to the victim.
The Genetic Genealogy Breakthrough
The case remained cold for over a decade until November 2024, when the APD Homicide Unit partnered with the FBI Dallas Field Office to evaluate the evidence under the Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) program.
Utilizing advanced DNA mapping and genealogical databases, investigators generated a significant break in the case earlier this year, ultimately linking the single drop of blood directly to Velasquez. While police have not yet publicly disclosed the specific motive or prior relationship between Velasquez and Chavez, a joint news conference featuring officials from the FBI and APD is scheduled to reveal further investigative details.
A Dual Life Hidden in Plain Sight
Following the 2012 homicide, Velasquez continued living in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, working as a real estate agent for Pure Realtors, LLC, where her license remained active at the time of her arrest.
To colleagues and acquaintances, Velasquez appeared to be a successful, family-oriented professional. Within a year of the murder, she gave birth to a child, and her social media accounts documented an opulent lifestyle filled with real estate awards and international travel—including trips to Paris, London, Dubai, Colombia, Spain, and Cozumel.
“For me she was a sweet lady, very outgoing, helpful, family oriented,” said Lupe Jimenez, a real estate colleague who worked alongside Velasquez. “I’m in shock because she’s not somebody I thought would ever do anything like that.”
Jimenez noted that when asked about her extensive global trips, Velasquez attributed them to visiting family abroad, alongside side income generated from home-flipping ventures with her husband.
After 13 years of unanswered questions, law enforcement officials express hope that the long-awaited arrest brings Chavez’s family a step closer to closure and justice.