Pregnant woman found killed in cemetery in 2005, TX cops say. Now, man charged

Two decades after a pregnant woman was found murdered at a rural Texas cemetery, a man has been charged, officials said.

Valeria Laguna was nine months pregnant when she was killed, the La Salle County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 29 news release. Her body was discovered July 19, 2005, at Cristo Rey Cemetery in Cotulla.

Cotulla, a town of about 3,700 people, is a roughly 90-mile drive southwest from San Antonio.

Laguna had been violently attacked, and “appeared to have been sexually assaulted, beaten, and strangled,” killing her and her unborn child, the state Department of Public Safety said in a news release.

The question of who was responsible would go unanswered for 20 years.

But after years of investigating, “tireless work spanning multiple administrations,” authorities made a breakthrough, leading to the arrest of 66-year-old Saul Gonzalez, the sheriff’s office said.

“For twenty years, this community has carried the memory of a terrible loss,” Sheriff Hector Ramirez said in the release. “This arrest represents a significant step toward justice.

Ramirez said linking the killing to Gonzalez was thanks in large part to “advanced forensic analysis,” but officials offered few specifics about the investigation “due to the pending prosecution.”

According to DPS officials, a 2023 analysis of both new and old evidence pointed investigators toward Gonzalez. More specifically, Gonzalez’ DNA was detected on multiple pieces of evidence, the department said.

The sheriff thanked the Texas Rangers for their help in the investigation, as well as the DPS Crime Lab and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.

“This case has always been about more than just solving a crime,” Ramirez said. “It has been about giving a voice to the victim, honoring her memory, and providing hope to her family. We know that nothing can erase the pain of the past, but we pray that this step forward brings comfort as we now move into the prosecution phase.”

Gonzalez was booked on a charge of capital murder, and his bond is set at $1 million, according to the sheriff’s office.

This story was originally published September 3, 2025 at 2:29 PM with the headline "Pregnant woman found killed in cemetery in 2005, TX cops say. Now, man charged."