Joel Carrizalez

On May 13, 2011, 43-year-old Hispanic male Joel Carrizalez was discovered fatally shot in his pickup truck, which was parked at Olle Middle School in Houston, Texas. Two employees of the Alief Independent School District found Carrizalez slumped over in the driver's seat. Notably, his wallet and truck keys were missing, suggesting a possible robbery motive.

Prior to the incident, Carrizalez had spent time with friends at a local cantina. He departed the club around 4:45 a.m. to drop off a friend and was not heard from again. Surveillance footage captured him leaving the cantina and, approximately 30 minutes later, his truck driving past Olle Middle School. These recordings represent the most substantial leads available to investigators at that time.

In the aftermath of his death, Carrizalez's family, including his wife and four children, publicly appealed for information to identify the perpetrator. His son, Flavio Carrizalez, described his father as a serious yet friendly individual who had no known conflicts and was a devoted parent. Despite these appeals and the available evidence, the case remained unsolved, with no arrests or identified suspects reported in connection to the murder.