Gerardo Omar Melendez Verdin, a 19-year-old Mexican national, was found dead on July 16, 2014, in a vacant lot on the 2800 block of East University Drive in Edinburg, Texas. His death was later determined to be a homicide. Investigators say his body had been left to decompose inside a home before being discovered.

Police sought 29-year-old Joaquin Cibrian on a capital murder warrant in connection with the killing. Officers attempted to arrest Cibrian at a house in La Joya, Texas; during that encounter he opened fire, wounding two officers. A standoff lasting more than three hours ended with Cibrian being killed by police. The wounded officers were treated and survived.

The case drew attention to gang-related violence and the risks faced by law enforcement in the area. If anyone knew Verdin, his movements before July 16, 2014, or has information about the events that led to his death, please come forward.