Listen to the details of a night a week before Cathy Torrez was murdered that hinted at the danger she was facing. Originally aired on NBC on April 24, 2015. An intensive search ends after her car is found, with her body in the trunk. Torres' wife, Cathy, is scheduled to go to trial on the same charges in May 2017. Twenty years after stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death and leaving her body in the trunk of a car, Sam Lopez confessed Friday to the brutal slaying. In 2011, Cathy was recognized by El Diario/La Prensa, the nation's oldest Spanish-language daily newspaper, as a "Woman of Distinction.". But prosecutors said Lopez suffered from fits of jealousy and became enraged when he discovered a hickey another man had given Torrez a week before her disappearance. Judge David A. Hoffer told Lopez he appreciated his honesty, but it wasnt enough to sway the judge from sentencing Lopez to 26 years to life in state prison. n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; . NBC's 'Dateline: The Promise' profiles the disappearance and murder of 20-year-old Cathy Torrez, who was last seen alive leaving her job at a local drug store on February 12, 1994.With more than 70 stab wounds, her nearly mutilated body was discovered a week later, packed in the trunk of her abandoned vehicle in a nearby hospital's parking lot. I had just reached the top of the pay scale at . Your email address will not be published. Her purse was missing and the driver's seat was completely reclined, which was unusual as Cathy wasn't very tall. When this got combined with Sams stoic expressions upon being notified of his girlfriends demise, their doubts furthered. The episode, titled The Promise, re-airs on Oxygen this Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 7 pm ET. Months into their on-and-off relationship, the 20-year-old went missing. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. He remains under investigation, however. Cathy is related to Karen Faye Thompson and Gary Dewayne Vickers as well as 3 additional people. Cathy Torrez's murder case was explored at length in Dateline: Secrets Uncovered's latest episode, titled The Promise, which aired on January 3. Wyatt," which aired June 11 as the premiere episode of "The Price of Duty," recounted the haunting murder of Cathy Torres, a vibrant Cal State . Several years later, investigations into this slaying were revived, which led to the use of advanced techniques and the discovery of DNA belonging to Sams cousin, Xavier Lopez, on Cathys clothes. Orange County Superior Court Judge David Hoffer told Lopez that if he violated the terms of his probation, he could face up to a year in jail. She was attending California State Fullerton as a sociology major, wanting to fulfill her dreams of becoming a social worker. They believed that he was lying about his whereabouts on the night of the incident, especially as several of Cathys friends and co-workers had already told them that she had planned to meet with Sam after work. According to producers, Dateline NBC will also include Saturday nights beginning this fall. Dateline: Inside facts revealed with Kathy Torres case on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, Xavier Lpez was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after confessing to compulsory killing. Its like shes here. S2, Ep. It take years to get to the truth. Police say they suspected Lopez was the murder suspect from the very beginning. Its way too little and way too late, Wyatt said. Josh Mankiewicz reports. Sams brother Armando had been linked to Kathys older sister Tina at that point. The killing occurred in an apartment complex . Samuel Lopez used a newspaper and plastic bag to lift the . NBCs Dateline has been a staple of the true-crime genre ever since its premiere in 1992. The couple, along with Cousin Sam, hung out frequently at Cathys work environment, a nearby pharmacy called Save-On. Everyone who spoke during the court hearing, including Sam Lopez, remembered Torrez as a vibrant, beautiful woman with a contagious smile and laugh who dreamed of becoming a social worker. Twenty years after Fullerton coed Cathy Torrez was repeatedly stabbed and left to die in the trunk of her car in Placentia, her ex-boyfriend was sentenced Friday to 26 years to life in state prison An intensive search ended after her car was found . "Even though people say no, there's nothing that they can do anymore, you have to keep trying. . Cathy Torrez grew up in Placentia, California. Cathy Torrezs family members wept in the packed Santa Ana courtroom as Lopez made his surprise apology for killing the 20-year-old girl in 1994. S2, Ep. All the while, detectives believed Cathy Torrez was here and there beau Sam Lopez, who had a false justification and guarantee that he was with his cousin, Xavier. After all, she had already immersed herself in tutoring and mentoring those who belonged to the rougher neighborhoods. mr fog max pro twist bottom how to use; lewistown sentinel police report 2022; 1951 hudson hornet top speed Mother Of Idaho Victim Arrested After Murders, US rehearses dropping nuclear bombs in Europe, Video of Deer Attacking Family While Woman Screams Hysterically, Colorado judge finds sea of unreliability in companys cellphone mapping data | Courts, Rabbi Mark Golub remembered for wit, heart at funeral service, Two-year nursing program to start this fall in Prince George, Inside Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohbergers unusually long route home to Pennsylvania, Mens Gymnastics Set to Compete at Illinois, Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper Announce North American Tour with Ministry and Filter, Rahne Adds 11 Student-Athletes on National Signing Day, Brian Boitano building community through food, UPS begins phaseout of older MD-11 cargo jets, Monterey Countys Wine and Winegrape Sector and Support Businesses Deliver a Total Economic Contribution of $1.4 Billion in Annual Economic Activity, Santa Clara man charged in Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection, Trip Report: The Breeze Airways Experience in California, Aircraft Performance Group Awarded Flight Operations Solutions Contract with Vista Flight Support. They also claimed that this came after the couples on-and-off relationship had become volatile and that their argument that night made Sam snap. Cathy Torrez was a beautiful, smart and responsible 20-year-old student. Armando Lopez pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. At the age of four, she and her family moved to Jonesboro. Please logout and login again. Cathy just jumps right out of that picture, Hoffer said. As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, a felony charge of being an accessory after the fact was dropped. Your login session has expired. While attending school, she worked two jobs and lived with her mother, Mary, stepfather, and three siblings. Twenty years after Cathy Torrez was repeatedly stabbed and left to die in the trunk of her car in Placentia, her ex-boyfriend was found guilty Tuesday in her. Instead, all he did was injure his hand in the process. Huge bear captured on video casually roaming Arcadia neighborhood, Lakers, LeBron James to play Warriors, Steph Curry in NBA showdown, Permanent supporting housing project opens in South LA. An autopsy revealed that she was stabbed in the face, head and upper body with fatal slits to her wrists and neck. An intensive search ended after her car was found, with her body in the trunk. Cathy has a reputation for being a bright individual with a bright future ahead of her. Meanwhile, Xavier Lopez was sentenced to four years and eight months after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Curious to know more? Cathys missing case turned out to be a murder before long. She and James share one daughter together, Sara, who is now in her mid-40s. SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- The ex-boyfriend of a Cal State Fullerton student killed in 1994 was found guilty of first-degree murder after more than two days of deliberations by an Orange County Superior Court jury. Armando Lopez also admitted to helping his brother and cousin commit the crime. Becky Gs Boyfriend Is Soccer Hottie Sebastian Lletget Pics! Police noted that Cathy was allegedly still alive when she was shoved into the trunk, apparent from a visible handprint found inside. He also said: Everything they said about Cathy was the truth she was a wonderful person. The charges were nonetheless dismissed due to a lack of physical evidence connecting him to the murder. Your email address will not be published. Season 2, Mom vs. Murderer, has a launch date. It was all my fault, Lopez said. Dateline examines the death of Rachel Winkler a California mother who was beloved by four men. The Rio Grande Valley, often seen as a reliable vote against abortion, has a long history of advocacy to increase access to the procedure. According to her autopsy report, she was stabbed dozens of times, with puncture wounds all over her head, face, and upper body. Tina Mora, the victims sister and ex-wife of Armando Lopez, told Hoffer that the defendant, for 23 years, continued to avoid the truth with his brother and cousin., She added, Armando, you harmed Cathy by your words and your actions to cover up for your brother Your culpability in Cathys murder is recognized today.. Josh Mankiewicz reports. The family says they hope their legal fight encourages others like them to never give up seeking justice. The family also continues to honor Cathy's life by supporting the Cathy Torrez Learning Center in Placentia. Lopez, however, had an ironclad alibi from his cousin, Xavier Lopez, accounting for his movements the night prosecutors said Torrez was killed. In this Dateline classic, Cathy Torrez was a beautiful, smart and responsible 20-year-old student. In February 1994, California State Fullerton University student Cathy Torrez was only 20 years old when she was viciously stabbed to death. His cousin Xavier Lopez was also sentenced to prison for helping him commit the crime. Breaking news for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties. Dateline NBC Today at 3:10 PM On September 28, Tony Berry, boyfriend of missing South Carolina mot . Following her death, an after-school tutoring center was named in her honor. On Tuesday, Phoenix police said the two women were found dead in their home Monday night in an apparent murder-suicide, and Augustine, 32, daughter of murdered Nevada politician Kathy Augustine . New York State Police announced on Thursday, April 20, that a 42-year-old man named Edward Holley has been arrested for second-degree murder in . As each new victim was gunned down, the FBI and local detectives struggled to track down a killer until a tip helped them piece together the murder mystery. [This story was first . Even before finding Torrezs body, detectives suspected that Lopez wasnt being truthful, a belief that was strengthened when he showed little emotion or curiosity after learning about Torrezs death. Xavier allegedly confirmed that he was in his van when the pair got into an argument during which Sam went after Kathy. by 2Paragraphs in Culture, True Crime Murder TV | March 20, 2021, Placentia, CA featured on Dateline 'The Promise' (NBC). Josh Mankiewicz Reports. She went to Williams Baptist College . Deadly Twist: With Lester Holt, Keith Morrison, Katelynn White, Rachel Winkler. Murphy said Lopez got into Torrezs car and he drove her to an unknown area, where an argument broke out. function loadFBPixel() { Advancements in DNA comparison techniques led to the discovery of DNA from Sam Lopezs cousin Xavier Lopez on Torrezs clothes, as well as bloody fingerprints on the car. Join Facebook to connect with Cathy Torres and others you may know. Cathy, before leaving work, even informed all her co-workers that she was going to meet Sam after her shift. Anyway, things ruined themselves before long when the 20-year-old neglected to return as expected on February 12, 1994, after her Sav-On day. With Cathys manner of death ruled as a homicide, the search to find the truth about what happened began.

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