What Happened After Maria Mendez Went Looking for Her Husband?

When Maria Mendez disappeared from Odessa, Texas, in August 1984, her family reported her missing and searched for answers. But, her missing-person file was placed in the wrong box, her case never made it into the databases future investigators would search, and for nearly 40 years, Maria’s disappearance was essentially lost inside the Odessa Police Department. Until Detective Lauren Gonzales climbed a ladder, opened an old box of 1984 case files, and found a folder that didn’t belong. What started as a forgotten missing-person case would eventually connect Gonzales to another mystery: a human skull discovered on a remote West Texas oilfield lease road in 1990. And in January 2023, DNA finally provided the answer Maria’s family had waited decades to receive. In this wildcard episode of The Deck, Ashley Flowers follows the investigation of Detective Lauren Gonzales as she reconstructs the disappearance of Maria Mendez and uncovers how a woman reported missing in 1984, and human remains discovered six years later, went unidentified for decades. You’ll hear about how Maria Mendez’s missing-person file was accidentally buried among unrelated 1984 case records, the unexpected investigation that led Detective Lauren Gonzales to discover Maria’s forgotten file, Maria’s final known day in Odessa, Texas, in August 1984, he volatile relationship between Maria and her husband, Arnoldo, who also went by Carlos, what Maria’s sister-in-law Delia Ortiz remembers hearing the day Maria disappeared, why Maria left her young daughter Virginia with Delia before heading out to find Arnoldo, and how Maria walked out the door that day and was never seen by her family again. This investigation also explores Maria’s previous marriage to Alcario Patino, the dangerous relationships family members say surrounded Maria during her life, what happened inside the Odessa duplex on the day Maria disappeared, the broken necklace Maria’s mother reportedly discovered while searching for her, why Maria’s family questioned Arnoldo’s behavior after she vanished, what investigators learned when they traveled to California after identifying Maria, and why Arnoldo unexpectedly contacted Delia after learning that Audiochuck reporters were investigating Maria’s story. For Maria’s daughter Virginia, the DNA identification fundamentally changed the story she had lived with since childhood. For decades, she believed her mother might have chosen to leave her behind. Now she knows that isn’t what happened. If you know anything about the death of Maria “Mary” Mendez, contact Detective Gonzales at 432-335-4926. Check out these other great crime channels: ‪@annieelise‬ Exposing JP Miller’s Shady History: Years Of Abuse, SA Allegations, and More    • Exposing JP Miller’s Shady History: Years ...   ‪@kallmekris‬ He Said The Devil Made Him Do It    • The Son of Sam Serial Killer   ‪@KendallRae‬ She Texted "Good Morning" Then Vanished ... Where Is Arelie Garcia?    • She Texted "Good Morning" Then Vanished .....   ‪@bellafiori‬ The Staudte Family Murders    • The Staudte Family Murders