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Genetic Genealogy Solves 2012 Arlington Murder, Arrests Suspect

7/21/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police arrested Mayra Velasquez, 42, and charged her with capital murder for the Jan 20, 2012 stabbing of Irasema Chavez in Arlington, Texas.
Police released footage showing Velasquez walking to Chavez’s apartment before the killing.
Detectives matched a blood drop from Chavez’s nightstand to a female DNA profile.
The FBI Dallas Field Office applied genetic-genealogy to the case in November 2024, producing a break that linked Velasquez to the crime and denied bond.

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Story summary

Police arrested Mayra Velasquez, 42, and charged her with capital murder for the Jan 20, 2012 stabbing of Irasema Chavez in Arlington, Texas.
Police released footage showing Velasquez walking to Chavez’s apartment before the killing.
Detectives matched a blood drop from Chavez’s nightstand to a female DNA profile.
The FBI Dallas Field Office applied genetic-genealogy to the case in November 2024, producing a break that linked Velasquez to the crime and denied bond.