In early February of 2010, the life of 19-year-old Ger Jersey Luis Clerici, a White male, was tragically cut short. A student at Cowley College, Clerici had moved to Wichita, Kansas, from New Jersey to be near his brother. Originally from Argentina, he was reported missing by his mother on February 1, 2010, after she hadn't heard from him for a few days.
The search for the young man came to a grim conclusion on February 6, 2010, when his body was discovered by a woman walking along a rural road. He was found with a gunshot wound in a culvert in Butler County, east of Augusta.
At the time of his disappearance and death, Clerici's car, a maroon 1990 Toyota Celica, was also missing. Authorities appealed to the public for help in locating the vehicle, which was eventually found in Wichita in June 2010. For years, the investigation into Clerici's homicide remained unsolved, becoming a cold case that left his family searching for answers. The passage of time did little to diminish their hope for justice.
More than a decade later, a breakthrough in the case finally emerged. In 2021, investigators with the Butler County Sheriff's Office decided to take a fresh look at the circumstances surrounding Clerici's death. This renewed focus led to the discovery of new information and evidence, which in turn prompted investigators to conduct follow-up interviews. The trail eventually led them to South Carolina, where two former Wichita residents, Kristopher Valadez and Candace Valadez, were living. In July 2022, both were arrested in Simpsonville, South Carolina, in connection with the 12-year-old murder.
Following their arrests, Kristopher and Candace Valadez were extradited back to Kansas to face charges. Kristopher Valadez was charged with second-degree murder, while Candace Valadez faced a charge of aiding a felon. The arrests marked a significant turning point in a case that had long been dormant, offering the first steps toward closure for the family of German Clerici.
