In the early morning hours of December 1, 2013, 47-year-old Margarita Gonzalez Almazan, a female resident of Bluffton, South Carolina, vanished and has not been heard from since. The night she disappeared, she had been at a birthday party for her grandson. Her daughter later overheard her tell her boyfriend, Osman Galicia-Escobedo, "What is my granddaughter going to do when I leave you?", which caused him to cry. This was the last time she was seen by her family.
When relatives went to her apartment a few hours later, it was empty. Inside, they found two plates of uneaten food and a smashed television remote, and law enforcement later noted signs of a struggle. It was clear from the beginning of the investigation that foul play was likely involved in her disappearance.
The investigation quickly focused on Margarita's 40-year-old boyfriend, Osman Galicia-Escobedo. In the hours after she was last seen, witnesses spotted him in Savannah, Georgia, with what appeared to be fresh scratch marks on his face. Both Margarita's and her boyfriend's vehicles were initially missing. Several days later, her 2001 Dodge Stratus was discovered abandoned near the Keller Flea Market in Savannah, just a few miles from where Galicia-Escobedo had been seen. Her cell phone was also found on the side of Highway 170 near the Lemon Island Bridge. Authorities learned that Galicia-Escobedo, a native of Guatemala, had purchased a plane ticket to his home country from the Savannah airport but never boarded the flight.
Despite efforts to locate him, Osman Galicia-Escobedo disappeared. The Federal Bureau of Investigation worked with authorities in Guatemala to find him, but their attempts were unsuccessful. Margarita's family described her relationship with Galicia-Escobedo as difficult, stating he was demanding and sometimes violent. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate her disappearance as a cold case, believing she was a victim of foul play. The case remains an overview of a sudden and suspicious disappearance, leaving a family without answers and a person of interest who has seemingly vanished. No charges have been filed, and Margarita's case is still unsolved.Last Seen: Dec 1, 2013
