Man kills ex-girlfriend and buries her body near playground, Pennsylvania cops say
_fitted.png "Melody Rivera, 29, was found buried near a city park playground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, nearly a week after her family reported her missing. The U.S. Marshals Service is searching for her ex-boyfriend.")
U.S. Marshals are searching for a Pennsylvania man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and leaving her body near a playground in Philadelphia, officials say.
Melody Rivera, 29, vanished on Oct. 31, spurring a search by her family and police, McClatchy News previously reported.
She was last seen with Geovanni Otero, her ex-boyfriend, at about 7 p.m., KYW reported. Her family reported her missing the next day.
The search went on for nearly a week. On the fifth day, Rivera’s car was found abandoned outside of a junk yard, sister Martha Lee said. Rivera’s family handed out flyers and combed woods near her phone’s last known location.
Then, on Nov. 7, her body was discovered in a shallow grave close to a park playground on the city’s northeast side, police told WCAU.
Nearly a month later, a search is on for her ex-boyfriend, Otero, the U.S. Marshals Service of Philadelphia announced Dec. 2.
The 29-year-old is “wanted for the murder of a 29 year-old-female who was found in a shallow grave,” the Marshals said.
Investigators say Rivera was “bludgeoned to death,” WPVI reported. It’s not clear what may have motivated the killing, but police say there was a dispute between Otero and Rivera before she disappeared.
“We’re considering him the most wanted person in the city now,” Rob Clark of the U.S. Marshals told the outlet. “It’s not a matter of if we’re going to catch him, it’s a matter of when.”
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to his arrest, Marshals said.
“Melody was a devoted mother, sister, daughter and friend,” her family said in a Facebook post. “She leaves behind her precious daughter, who now faces a future without the loving presence of her incredible mother.”
Otero, who also goes by the alias “Gozer,” is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and weighs about 175 pounds, the Marshals Service said.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact investigators at 1-866-865-8477. He should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Man kills ex-girlfriend and buries her body near playground, Pennsylvania cops say."