SAN MARCOS — A Hays County judge sentenced Juan Manuel Yanez to life in prison on May 14 for killing Victoria Valadez. Yanez had previously pleaded guilty to the murder charge and will not be eligible for parole until he has served at least 30 years.

San Marcos police received a 911 call from Yanez on February 7, 2025, in which he said he had killed Valadez. Officers responded to the 800 block of River Road and found the back door of the apartment open. During an emergency welfare check inside, officers found Valadez in the back bedroom, dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators found no sign of a struggle at the scene, suggesting that Valadez may have been asleep when she was shot. Yanez and Valadez were not legally married but had been romantically involved for several months prior to the shooting.

Surveillance video from a 7-Eleven near the scene, recorded about 20 minutes before the 911 call, showed Yanez arriving in the victim's truck, buying four beers, and driving toward the apartment. All four beers purchased by Yanez were found at the crime scene; two were opened and all were cold to the touch. Yanez's wallet was found on Valadez's nightstand.

Yanez was not at the apartment when police arrived, and his vehicle was not in the area. Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff's Office later spotted him in an area he was known to frequent. Yanez led deputies through a neighborhood chase, during which a deputy fired a gun toward him when they believed they saw a weapon. Yanez was taken into custody after the chase.

Forensic testing confirmed Valadez's blood and gunshot residue on clothing and jewelry collected from Yanez. Investigators found that Yanez's cellphone SIM card had been physically removed before the phone was collected by police, indicating an attempt to inhibit efforts to track him.

The Hays County District Attorney's Office revealed that Yanez had a home and a separate family in Houston. Investigators were unable to determine a motive for the murder.