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EDINBURG — A 26-year-old Mission man pleaded guilty to the murder of a woman whose body was disposed of inside a compartment at her boyfriend’s apartment.

Kristian Valenzuela Jr. entered a guilty plea Wednesday morning for the murder of 40-year-old Editza Gomez who died on Aug. 19, 2023.

As part of the plea agreement, Valenzuela may receive a 30-year sentence but it’s contingent based on his truthful testimony against his co-defendant and Gomez’s boyfriend, 35-year-old Reynaldo Cuevas Mercado III.

Additionally, state prosecutors dropped Valenzuela’s second charge of tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair a human corpse.

The investigation began as a missing person’s report.

Gomez’s last known location was Mercado’s apartment located at 1017 Miller in Mission, according to the probable cause affidavits.

During the investigation, witnesses told police that Gomez was last seen leaving Mercado’s residence.

Then, on Aug. 30, 2023, investigators were informed that Mercado had “access to chained-up doors of sheds or concealed compartments” at his property.

Utilizing aerial surveillance, police found ground disturbances that indicated digging had occurred in that area.

Investigators obtained search warrants and, with the help of U.S. Border Patrol cadaver canines, searched the scene which resulted in the discovery of Gomez’s body.

She had been concealed in a compartment between the living room and kitchen areas, according to the affidavits.

Valenzuela voluntarily surrendered to police and stated that he witnessed Mercado and Gomez arguing the day she was reported missing.

He explained that he was in the shower throughout the altercation when he heard a gunshot. When Valenzuela stepped out, he heard another two gunshots and found Gomez on the kitchen floor “dying and still breathing,” the affidavits said.

Valenzuela claimed that Mercado threatened him with a handgun and shotgun to help hide Gomez’s body.

The two wrapped her body in sheets and trash bags before placing her in the compartment.

Valenzuela then helped Mercado clean the house in order to “get rid of the evidence of murder” and burned a DVR and cleaning products in a barbecue pit.

Police managed to find each item during their investigation.

On Sept. 1, 2023, an autopsy of Gomez’s body revealed a single gunshot wound to her head. Her body had been wrapped in layers of trash bags, towels, bedsheets and a see-through tarp which were secured with tape and black cable wires, according to the documents.

During that time, police ruled her cause of death to be either the gunshot wound or asphyxiation.

Currently both men remain in custody.

Mercado, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to go to trial next week.

Valenzuela is scheduled to be sentenced in October.

The post Mission man admits to murder of woman during fight with boyfriend appeared first on MyRGV.com.