Elmo Minjarez Jr., 54, was last seen on August 16, 2024, in the 1800 block of East Colgate Street in Lubbock, Texas. His family reported him missing a month later, on September 16, after which detectives learned—during an unrelated homicide probe—that Minjarez may have been shot and killed and that witnesses believed his body had been concealed under a mattress.

On September 18, investigators from the Lubbock Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit and the Forensic Investigations Division searched rural areas south of Lubbock and found human skeletal remains wrapped in an air mattress, bedding, and a tarp, bound with red and orange tape. Personal items recovered with the remains included a wristwatch and jewelry. Two days later, 57-year-old Armando Champion left a voicemail to a detective admitting responsibility for Minjarez’s death and asking for time to say goodbye to his family before surrendering. Champion was arrested on September 23 in the 1900 block of East 1st Street by the Lubbock Texas Anti-Gang Center, charged with murder, and held on $200,000 bond; a Lubbock County grand jury later returned an indictment.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities continue to gather evidence. Did anyone in Lubbock see Elmo Minjarez Jr. in mid-August or have information about his whereabouts afterward?