Patricia Ann Castillo, a 21-year-old woman from East Houston, went missing on June 1, 1991. She was last seen on Delmar Street near her grandmother's house. For years, her family searched for answers, distributing flyers and holding out hope that she would return home. Tragically, Patricia's remains were not identified until nearly 27 years later, when her skull was found near Port Houston Street, just five miles from where she had disappeared.
The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the head. Despite the identification of her remains, no other parts of her body have been recovered, and no arrests have been made in connection with her death.
In August 2018, her remains were positively identified using DNA testing. The identification was made possible through a DNA sample submitted by her sister to the National Institute of Justice. Until that point, Patricia's skull had been buried in an unmarked grave at the Harris County Cemetery. Her family now plans to relocate her remains for a proper burial beside her father in Fulshear, Texas.
Patricia's disappearance left a lasting impact on her family, who remember her as a lively young woman who loved to dance and spend time with her family. Her sister, Miranda Moreno, recalls the heartbreak of waiting for news for years, only to learn about Patricia's fate decades later. The family continues to seek justice for Patricia and is urging anyone with information to come forward to help identify her killer. Despite the closure that DNA identification has brought, many questions remain unanswered, and her family is determined to find out who was responsible for her death.
