The FBI-assisted review revived a case that had resisted surveillance footage, DNA database searches and a forensic composite.
ARLINGTON, Texas — A genetic genealogy investigation conducted by Arlington police and the FBI has led to an arrest more than 14 years after Irasema Chavez was found dead in her South Collins Street apartment.
Police charged Mayra Velasquez, 42, with capital murder in July after investigators said a renewed forensic review produced a significant lead. The development illustrates how genetic genealogy is being used in older cases when traditional DNA database searches, witness information and public appeals have failed to identify a suspect.
Velasquez was arrested July 16, according to public records cited by local news organizations, and Tarrant County jail records show she was booked July 17. Court records indicated she was being held without bond. The charge remains an allegation, and authorities have not released the specific evidence they say links her to Chavez’s death.
Chavez, 32, was discovered Jan. 20, 2012, inside her apartment at the Aspenwood Apartments at 2714 S. Collins St. Police said she died from multiple stab wounds. Investigators found no apparent sign of forced entry, but they did not identify a suspect during the initial phase of the case.
Surveillance video became one of the investigation’s most visible pieces of evidence. The footage showed a person approaching Chavez’s apartment the night before her body was found, standing near the door and then entering. Arlington police released the recording and sought the public’s help, but the appeal did not lead to an announced identification.
Investigators also developed a DNA profile from blood found at the scene. The profile did not initially match a person in the law enforcement databases available to detectives, leaving police with biological evidence but no confirmed identity.
In 2016, Arlington police sent the DNA profile to Virginia-based Parabon NanoLabs. The company used the genetic information to create a predicted image of the unknown person’s appearance. Such profiles can estimate certain physical traits, but they are investigative tools rather than exact portraits. Police said the composite did not generate the lead needed to resolve the case.
The investigation changed direction in November 2024 when Arlington homicide detectives consulted the FBI Dallas Field Office about the bureau’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy program. The FBI agreed to help review the evidence through a process that can compare an unknown DNA profile with genealogical information and identify possible family connections.
Investigative genetic genealogy does not by itself establish that a person committed a crime. It can generate possible relatives or family lines for investigators to examine. Detectives must then use records, interviews, surveillance, fresh DNA comparisons or other evidence to determine whether a person can be connected to the case.
Authorities said the genealogy work produced a significant lead in early 2026. Arlington detectives then developed additional evidence and obtained an arrest warrant for Velasquez. Police have not said which family connection led investigators to her, whether they collected a new DNA sample or how long she had been under investigation before the arrest.
The case is one of a growing number of long-unsolved investigations revisited with forensic techniques that were not available or widely used when the original crimes occurred. In the Chavez investigation, genetic genealogy followed years of traditional police work, public requests for information, surveillance review and DNA analysis.
Police have not disclosed a motive or said how Velasquez may have known Chavez. They also have not publicly confirmed whether Velasquez was the person shown in the 2012 surveillance footage. Further information about the forensic process and the evidence supporting the charge is expected as the criminal case moves forward.
Author note: Last updated July 21, 2026.