Martha Batchelor, a 53-year-old woman from San Antonio, TX, was tragically murdered on July 8, 2013. She was found dead in her apartment by maintenance workers who were responding to a work order. Batchelor was likely awakened around 4:30 in the morning by someone knocking at her door or entering her apartment. She attempted to call 911 but was overpowered by the intruder in her bedroom.
The crime scene was described as "heinous," with Batchelor being sexually assaulted and murdered.
The investigation into Martha Batchelor's death led to the arrest of Bradford Hudson, a man who lived in the same apartment complex as Batchelor at the time of her murder. Hudson's DNA was found at the crime scene and matched samples taken from Batchelor's apartment. He was arrested in California on a family violence charge and later extradited to San Antonio to face capital murder charges. However, the capital murder charge against Hudson was dismissed in March 2020 pending further investigation, and he passed away later that year.
Despite the dismissal of charges, Batchelor's family expressed frustration with the handling of the case by the Bexar County District Attorney's Office. They felt left in the dark about the dismissal and the lack of communication from prosecutors. The case remains unsolved, and the suspect, believed to be Hispanic, has not been brought to justice.
The tragic death of Martha Batchelor and the subsequent legal proceedings highlight the complexities and challenges of solving cold cases, especially when key suspects pass away before a resolution can be reached.
