TX TX - Rosa Sandoval, 12, San Antonio, 28 May 2004

[KatherineQ]

I looked up her story on the net, and it's an odd one. What possible motivation would a 17 year old sister have for saying her little sister had gone to school in the morning, if in fact the girl knew she was missing at 11:30 p.m.?

Neither parent is awake to see that the girl actually did/did not get up and get her own self off to school at 7:30? Even to just say goodbye? Nobody in the family notices that she wasn't there, and thinks she went to school, except the older sister who lied about it. For weeks, apparently, and then finally said she wasn't there when the sister went to bed.

Hm.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/missing_children/rosa_sandoval.html


edited to add: This story, if you look up articles, doesn't get any better toward the sister. Apparently in June forensics arrived at the home and found evidence in the girl's bedroom - handprints in blood, and seized a mattress and the family car. And then the next day the family had the rooms professionally steam cleaned. Doesn't sound like a predator to me.

Edited AGAIN to add: she was reported, falsely, having gone to school with her light purple school backpack. Obviously the backpack is missing from the home or this lie wouldn't have held up for weeks. So that means someone disposed of her backpack, from inside the house. No 5th grader takes their schoolwork backpack, complete with all the schoolwork inside, to run off in the dark of night between 11 and 11:30 p.m.

And THAT may well explain why the cops had mentally ID'd the body and didn't tell the family.

 

[blueclouds]

This poor darlin's been identified.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA032205.sandoval.online.16352ce59.html

 

[meggilyweggily]

Things do certainly look odd re: Rosa's sister. I wouldn't put too much stock in the bloody handprints, though. I mean, certainly they're an indication, but not a strong one. Right now, for instance, I have a sock sitting in my closet fairly covered with my own blood. And I have not been murdered.

I heard that Rosa's family had the house cleaned because the police, when searching it, left a big mess and fingerprint/blood-detection powder everywhere.

 

[LillyRush]

Oh my God I haven't even heard about this body discovery on the news. I remember this case and how the sister was the last one to claim to see her but haven't heard anything about it in ages. That is so horrible. May her little soul rest in peace.

 

[KatherineQ]

Things do certainly look odd re: Rosa's sister. I wouldn't put too much stock in the bloody handprints, though. I mean, certainly they're an indication, but not a strong one. Right now, for instance, I have a sock sitting in my closet fairly covered with my own blood. And I have not been murdered.

I heard that Rosa's family had the house cleaned because the police, when searching it, left a big mess and fingerprint/blood-detection powder everywhere.

Meggily - hope your foot's okay! My house is probably full of blood too, if they did one of those luminescence tests. Between raising three rowdy kids, and their friends, and dogs, and cooking meats with blood, etc., there's probably a lot to see here even though it's been cleaned up. Eeks. This story just looks weird, though, doesn't it. This poor cute girl, I hope somehow it gets solved. The media coverage seems to have been so lacking in detail it's hard to tell what happened to her.

 

[meggilyweggily]

I'm under the impression that the cops aren't releasing any information. Or that they simply don't know anything. If it took three months to identify Rosa's remains, it may take much longer to figure out what killed her -- if they ever do. Skeletons are difficult to work with, especially if they've been laying out in the open for so long. Unless there's, say, bullet holes in the bones, or cuts consistent with a knife, it may be impossible to figure out a cause of death.

 

[Michelle Read]

Any update on the search for the killer of this poor child? It is a shame so many murders go unsolved! Prayers that this young girl's family finds some justice!

 

[Mom2threestooges]

That doesn't make sense. A 12 year old doesn't go to elementary school, unless she failed a grade and the school goes to 6th grade.

On a Sunday, she may have been going to meet a friend, or hang out, or climb on the rooftops (like I used to to while hanging out with my friends, at that age).

That whole report is weird. The Friday she should have disappeared would have been the 28th.

My son is 12, has never failed a grade, and is in 6th grade. All the elementary schools around here go through 6th.

 

[docwho3]

Here is a case discussion thread for this case. I went through the info & support thread & tried to get most of the news report links from there.
I hope it helps.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=44C79C97-C2BB-492F-9FBD-8FDE54F5C69A
http://www.ksat.com/news/3396211/detail.html

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=43ECDA71-B32D-4A7F-AF34-20AEE18F1B33

http://www.ksat.com/news/3555955/detail.html

http://www.ksat.com/news/4117031/detail.html

 

[docwho3]

A case discussion thread has been opened for this case at

http://websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?p=907686#post907686

I hope it helps.

 

[bykerladi]

Bump



http://missing.puellula.com/Memoriam/Sandoval.html

 

[imamaze]

America's Most Wanted: Rosa Sandoval

Police Find Rosa's Remains
Authorities say skeletal remains found in a wooded area in southwest Bexar County, Texas in December are those of 12-year-old Rosa Sandoval. >>The Full Story

 

[Ives]

here is a new story up. well nothing new. but I just seen it looking for news on Gabriel Johnson.

Police Look For Clues In Killing
Bones Of Rosa Sandoval, 12, Found In Woods
http://www.ksat.com/news/22297909/detail.html

 

[KateB]

http://www.kens5.com/news/Photo-of-Oldsmobile-may-be-link-to-catching-childs-killer-152316115.html

Old blue Oldsmobile may be link to catching S.A. child's killer
Posted on May 21, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Updated Tuesday, May 22 at 8:29 AM

She would have turned 20 this month, but eight years ago 12-year-old Rosa Sandoval went missing. Months later her body was found.
...
In February, investigators said they had new information in the case. Now they are releasing new details.

Those details include a photo of a blue 1983 four-door Oldsmobile found in a junk yard.

video & more at link.

 

[fooschnickens]

Does anyone know what the police's findings were of their testing of possible blood stains in the bedroom shared by the sisters? I read an article on another website that stated that the mom last saw Rosa leaving for school on a Friday morning, but then, the FBI learned after further questioning, that she hadn't been seen since the night before after an argument with the sister. That's a big difference when it comes to a missing child. I also read that Rosa may have given her address out on line to someone who had promised her a surprise birthday gift and the visit her on the day she disappeared. Was this ever mentioned anywhere here? Did they find out anything further about this individual? What were the findings on the blue Oldsmobile found in a junkyard with her photo in it? The follow up on this case was so disappointing and perplexing.

 

[iulia]

Who murdered 12-year-old Rosa Sandoval?

SAN ANTONIO - Next week is the 15th anniversary of the disappearance of 12-year-old Rosa Sandoval.
[...]
According to the Crime Stoppers website, the Bexar County's Sheriff's Office now has jurisdiction in the case and is currently focusing on a few individuals that may have additional information in the case.

No specific person has ever been identified and the case remains open and active.