HARLINGEN — Even though Abigail Estrada’s case has been closed, it doesn’t mean police won’t open it back up if a new tip comes in.
“We encourage people to call if they have a tip about the disappearance of Abigail Estrada,” Deputy Police Chief Hector Leal said. “We don’t have complete closure for the family because her body was never found.”
Leal said he was a police captain when Estrada, 13, went missing in 2007.
He said he was there when the case started and ordered hundreds of man hours and coordinated with detectives and other agencies investigating the case and searching for Estrada.
During court testimony on Tuesday, friends of Ruben Torres told the jury Torres admitted to killing Estrada for snitching on him to Harlingen police about a drive-by shooting.
They say Torres told them he had taken the young girl to a field, made her kneel and then shot her. Her body has never been found.
Torres initially said no to any of the plea bargains prosecutors offered him for details about what happened to Estrada.
Then on Wednesday, Torres pleaded no contest without having to say what happened to Estrada.
He was sentenced to 18 years for the murder of Estrada.
“Though a plea was reached in the conviction of Ruben Torres for the Abigail Estrada case, the Harlingen Police Department would like to thank the jury for their service and Luis V. Saenz and the Cameron County District Attorneys Office, and we continue to support Abigail’s family,” Police Chief Jeffry Adickes said. “HPD will still pursue any and all leads that may bring Abigail home for her family.”
Reports state Estrada was last seen with Torres in 2007. Estrada was 13 and Torres was 16.
Harlingen police said they investigated her disappearance for many years and followed every tip that was called in.
“The case is closed and if anything comes up to lead us to investigate, the case will quickly be reopened,” Leal said.
