SAN ANTONIO – In the latest installment of South Texas Crime Stories, KSAT dives into the story of a San Antonio woman whose skeletal remains were found back in the late 1990s.
Once a happily married couple, 26-year-old Dedra Salinas and 35-year-old Roy Hernandez shared a home on the South Side of town.
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However, things took a dark turn in 1999 when the woman’s family reported her missing.
It wasn’t until about seven years later in February 2006 that investigators received a tip and found her body behind the couple’s home in the 200 block of Cantrell.
That’s where her remains were found under a makeshift concrete slab in the couple’s backyard.
Unfortunately, a cause of death could not be determined, but it was ruled a homicide because of the way her body was disposed of.
Police say they suspect domestic violence may have led to her death.
Her husband, Hernandez, was questioned by police but the case went cold due to lack of evidence.
That is until 2017, when investigators noticed inconsistencies in Hernandez’s police statements.
The district attorney’s office eventually collected enough evidence to convince a grand jury to indict Hernandez.
He was arrested in 2017 and currently faces a murder charge in connection with Salinas’ death.
Hernandez maintains his innocence until this day.
After waiting 21 years, Salinas’ mother says she now looks forward to finding justice for a woman described as selfless and always ready to help others.
If jury trials resume, Hernandez’s trial could begin this November.
Find more information, news and resources about domestic violence on KSAT’s Loving in Fear page.