Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
302 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Case Description

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Summary based on the NamUs case record (MP7984) and 4 other sources
Raul Ruelas, a 38-year-old male, was last seen in San Antonio, Texas, on December 26, 1997. At the time of his disappearance, he was working at a local tire shop. On that day, after completing his shift, he was reportedly picked up by an unidentified man who was driving a brown Chevrolet pickup truck. Ruelas, who sometimes went by the nickname "Bule," was of Hispanic and White/Caucasian descent with black hair and brown eyes. He was described as having a black mustache at the time. When he was last seen, he was wearing a brown jacket, a red shirt, black pants, and black dress shoes.

The circumstances surrounding Raul Ruelas's disappearance remain shrouded in mystery, with very few details available to the public. The man who picked him up from his workplace has never been identified, and the brown Chevrolet 210 series pickup truck has not been located. After he got into that truck, Raul Ruelas was never seen or heard from again. His case quickly went cold, leaving his family and investigators with many unanswered questions.

Over the years, law enforcement has made efforts to generate new leads, but the case has seen little to no movement. The San Antonio Police Department is the investigating agency, and Ruelas's case has been entered into national databases for missing persons, including NamUs, under the case number MP7984. Despite the passage of time, the investigation into what happened to Raul Ruelas on that December day continues. The central mystery of the case revolves around the identity of the man in the brown pickup truck and where he took Raul Ruelas after leaving the tire shop. Without any further witnesses or evidence, the disappearance of Raul Ruelas remains an unsolved and poignant cold case.

Last Seen: Dec 26, 1997

Possible Unidentified Matches (10)

Unidentified remains cases whose details are consistent with this person, ranked by how closely they compare. Fields that are unknown in either case are left out of the score.

84%Moderate
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas
UP10139 • Found Jul 9, 2007
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 25–40 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%5 mi away, same county
TimingFound 10 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 89%109 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
81%Moderate
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas
UP13629 • Found Jan 18, 2015
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 40–65 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%3 mi away, same county
TimingFound 17 years after last seen
Height 100%5'6" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 99%116 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
78%Possible
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas - unidentified case UP14405
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas
UP14405 • Found Jun 12, 2015
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 45–65 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%2 mi away, same county
TimingFound 17 years after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 32%192 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 70%Gray vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
78%Possible
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas - unidentified case UP13788
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas
UP13788 • Found Jan 28, 2015
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 45–65 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%10 mi away, same county
TimingFound 17 years after last seen
Height 100%5'8" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 84%164 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 60%Brown vs Black
78%Possible
John Doe — Laredo, Texas
UP4954 • Found Jun 20, 2007
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 25–40 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 67%138 mi away, same state
TimingFound 9 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 100%132 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
78%Possible
John Doe — San, Texas
UP3453 • Found Apr 23, 2001
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 69%Est. 46–61 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%Same area, same county
TimingFound 3 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 100%120 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 40%Gray vs Black
78%Possible
John Doe — San Antonio, Texas
UP138984 • Found Jan 31, 2025
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 57–70 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 100%9 mi away, same county
TimingFound 27 years after last seen
Height 100%5'9"–6'2" vs 5'6"–5'8"
77%Possible
John Doe — Austin, Texas - unidentified case UP9018
John Doe — Austin, Texas
UP9018 • Found Jul 30, 2011
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 85%Est. 40–65 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 82%74 mi away, same state
TimingFound 14 years after last seen
Height 100%5'7" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 98%155 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 70%Gray vs Black
Eyes 90%Black vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Laredo, Texas
UP5046 • Found May 28, 2008
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 30–45 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 66%146 mi away, same state
TimingFound 10 years after last seen
Height 100%5'5" vs 5'6"–5'8"
Weight 87%162 lb vs 130–140 lb
Hair 100%Black vs Black
Eyes 100%Brown vs Brown
77%Possible
John Doe — Austin, Texas
UP7087 • Found Feb 25, 2004
View case
Sex ✓Male
Age 100%Est. 35–50 vs 38 when missing
Race 100%White
Location 83%73 mi away, same state
TimingFound 6 years after last seen
Height 100%5'0"–5'5" vs 5'6"–5'8"

These comparisons are generated automatically from public NamUs case data and are not confirmed identifications. Only DNA, dental or fingerprint comparison by investigators can confirm an identity. If you believe two cases are connected, contact the agency handling the unidentified case.

Unidentified photos are blurred because many are post-mortem. Tap a photo to reveal it.