Vanessa Alcorte, a 32-year-old Hispanic woman, tragically lost her life on May 26, 2014, in Lubbock, Texas. Vanessa was born on May 2, 1982, to Armando Hernandez and Graciala Quintana in Chicago, Illinois. She spent her early years in Los Angeles before moving to Lubbock at the age of ten to live with her father. Vanessa attended Horwell Elementary and Estacado High School and later served in the U.S. Army, completing two tours of duty in Iraq.
She was married to Omara Alcorte, and together they had three children: Natilie, Jazmine, and Maliki Alcorte. Vanessa was known for her loving nature and was a cherished mother and friend to many.
On the fateful day of May 26, 2014, Vanessa Alcorte's body was discovered in the front seats of her vehicle, a gray Jaguar, in an alley of a mobile home park in the 2800 block of North Quaker Avenue. Earlier that day, Lubbock police had received reports of a fight and shots fired in a vehicle matching the description of Vanessa's car near the intersection of Boston Avenue and Second Place. Vanessa had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and her vehicle appeared to be stuck in a muddy ditch.
The investigation into Vanessa's death led to the arrest of Matthew Torrez, a 27-year-old man who was identified as a suspect after police spoke with a family member of Vanessa's. The family member reported seeing Vanessa and Torrez together about an hour before the first 911 call. Torrez, who was Vanessa's cousin, was arrested the next day at a residence in the 1700 block of 48th Street and was held in the Lubbock County Jail with a bond set at $500,000.
Matthew Torrez accepted a plea deal with state prosecutors, pleading guilty to the murder of Vanessa Alcorte. As part of the deal, a separate felony charge of failure to stop and render aid was dismissed. On September 14, 2015, Torrez was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the slaying of Vanessa Alcorte. He will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence. During the sentencing, Vanessa's mother, Graciela Ruiz Santana, expressed her anguish and anger towards Torrez, calling him a "calculated murderer" and vowing to attend every parole hearing to ensure he serves his full sentence. Vanessa's brother, Armando Hernandez, also shared his thoughts, acknowledging that while justice was served to some extent, the loss of Vanessa would never be fully reconciled for their family.
