On March 28, 2010, 35-year-old Hispanic male Jose Flores was found deceased in his San Antonio, Texas, apartment. The circumstances of his death were initially unclear, prompting an investigation by local authorities.
In the early hours of March 2, 2011, neighbors reported hearing a woman's loud scream and smelled smoke emanating from Flores's apartment. Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished a blaze that had been intentionally set in multiple locations within the residence. Inside, they discovered the body of 30-year-old Hispanic female Esmeralda Herrera, who had been strangled and bludgeoned. Her cat, Cowboy, also perished in the fire.
Jose Baldomero Flores III, a 36-year-old Hispanic male, was arrested in connection with Herrera's murder. He had previously been questioned in the 2005 murder of 21-year-old Hispanic female Heather Willms, who was found sexually assaulted and stabbed in her Leon Valley apartment.
In both cases, the perpetrator attempted to destroy evidence by setting fires.
Advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to link Flores to both murders. In November 2016, he was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of arson. Facing the possibility of the death penalty, Flores pleaded guilty in July 2022 and was sentenced to three life terms—two to be served concurrently and one consecutively.
The resolution of these cases brought a measure of closure to the victims' families, who had endured years of uncertainty and grief. The successful prosecution underscored the importance of persistent investigative efforts and the application of forensic science in solving cold cases.
