On January 6, 2019, a body was found in the 1500 block of Old Highway 40 in Callaway County, Missouri, near the Boone County line. The victim was identified as Lauro Garza-Perez, a 34-year-old Hispanic man from Wright City, Missouri. He had suffered fatal gunshot wounds and authorities classified the death as a murder.

Investigators named two primary suspects early in the inquiry: Ruben Corales Cabrera, 33 at the time, and Emily Ricketts, then 22. Both were residents of Indianapolis, Indiana, but had ties to the Columbia, Missouri area. The Callaway County Prosecuting Attorney charged both with first-degree murder, and charged Cabrera with armed criminal action. The suspects evaded capture and were the subjects of a multi-year, interstate manhunt; authorities warned they should be considered armed and dangerous.

Reports during the investigation included allegations that Ricketts’ mother said Cabrera had confessed and that Garza-Perez had threatened his family in Mexico, and that Cabrera was abusive toward Ricketts. On November 8, 2022, Mexican authorities arrested Emily Ricketts; Ruben Corales Cabrera remained at large and law enforcement efforts to locate him continued with federal assistance. Does anyone have information about Garza-Perez’s movements or contacts in early 2019?