Rosa Elia Barbosa, a 46-year-old Hispanic woman, was tragically murdered on March 12, 2004, in McKinney, Texas. Rosa, who worked as a clerk at a local check-cashing business, was at her home when three men—Eddie Williams, Javier Cortez, and Raul Cortez—broke in with the intent to rob her. Javier Cortez had been observing Rosa and believed she took cash home from her workplace daily.
When the intruders couldn't find any money in the house, they forced Rosa to give them the key and alarm code to the check-cashing business. One of the men then shot and killed Rosa.
Before the perpetrators could leave, Rosa's nephew, Mark Barbosa, a 25-year-old Hispanic man, entered the home with his friends, Matt Self, a 17-year-old white male, and Austin York, an 18-year-old white male. The intruders forced Mark, Matt, and Austin into a bedroom and shot them before fleeing the scene. Mark's brother, Robert Barbosa, later discovered the four victims. Matt Self was still alive and was rushed to the hospital, where he died the following day.
The investigation into the murders initially led to the arrest of several suspects, but they were released due to a lack of evidence. The case remained unsolved for several years until Talisha Haithcox, the girlfriend of Eddie Williams, contacted the police and implicated Williams in the murders. McKinney Police Detective Joe Arp gathered DNA evidence that linked Raul Cortez to the crime scene. Investigators collected a cigarette butt from Cortez's workplace in Florida and used it to match DNA evidence found at the crime scene.
Eddie Williams cooperated with the police and provided information about the planning and execution of the robbery. He revealed that the group had been planning to rob the check-cashing business where Rosa worked. Raul Cortez was eventually convicted and sentenced to death, while his brother, Javier Cortez, received a four-year federal prison sentence for weapons charges. Eddie Williams was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder in exchange for his testimony against Raul Cortez. The case received national attention and was featured on an episode of "America's Most Wanted," which helped lead to the capture of the suspects.
