The Odessa Police Department and the Texas Rangers have made a breakthrough in the 1984 Missing Person Case involving Maria Mendez, an Odessa mother of three.
In August of 1984, Maria Faye Mendez, 39, was reported missing from her apartment located in the 2400 block of West 10th St. Within days of her disappearance, her family reported her missing after she did not come home and failed to contact them.
The original investigative team conducted interviews and canvases, but the case quickly went cold. In 2022, the Odessa Police Department obtained samples of DNA from living relatives of Maria Mendez. In January of 2023, the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification notified the Odessa Police Department of a DNA match.
The DNA match came from skeletal remains recovered in Crane County in January of 1990. These remains were recovered by Crane County Deputies. In 2013, with the help of the Crane County Sheriff’s Office, the Odessa Police Department submitted these remains for DNA testing and anthropological research. Due to the advancements in technology and forensic testing over the past decades, we can now say that the remains belong to Ms. Mendez.
This case has spanned decades and many agencies have been involved over the years. If it were not for the help of Ms. Mendez’s family, the Texas Rangers, and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification, there would still be no answers. In a news release, OPD detailed they are grateful for those involved.
Ms. Mendez’s case has been upgraded to an active homicide investigation. OPD is currently working leads and working closely with Ms. Mendez’s family. Anyone with any information regarding this case is encouraged to reach out to the Odessa Police Department (432) 335-3333 or to Odessa Crime Stoppers at (432) 333-TIPS.
