Found Deceased TX - Martin Gutierrez, 25, Rainey Street, Austin, 19 Nov 2018

[moonriverfarm]

HOW do these young men leaving bars end up in the water??????

 

[zecats]

APD Homicide detectives confirmed that the deceased person located in 1300 E Riverside Dr. yesterday morning is missing person, Martin Gutierrez.

Next of kin has been notified and we are still waiting for toxicology results from the Travis County Medical Examiner. No other information is available at this time. -APD PIO

View attachment 157339

Austin Police Department | 11/27/2018 2:53pm (CST)

RIP Martin. I hope your family eventually is able to find some peace that at least you were found.

 

[Mercedes]

I am so sorry for this young man and his family.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

These kind of stories make me so angry. When someone is so intoxicated that the bar refuses to serve them why in the world did the bar and friends allow this man to just run out of the bar on his own?

Exactly. I've been wondering how the evening played out in the first place - Martin was in downtown Austin having dinner with his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and some of her family. The dinner is over and everyone goes home but Martin decides to go for drinks with his friends. I wonder how that happened - was it prearranged to meet them? Was it spur of the moment? It was a Sunday night, after all, and not the usual night to stay out late drinking. Then his friends either don't notice his impaired state, or maybe were themselves pretty intoxicated. And somewhere along the line Martin realizes he needs a ride home. Well, how were his friends going to get home? Couldn't they have given him a ride, or shared an Uber, or whatever? Or at least made sure he got on his way safely? I'm just trying to play the evening out in my mind and it doesn't make much sense at all. Have any of these friends made a public statement? I'd love to hear their explanation of events.

 

[MntnHiker]

RIP Martin. Thoughts to his family.

I am wondering if him running out of the bar ends up not having anything to do with whatever went down. If this was in fact, a crime, perhaps he was just acting oddly and running around because he was intoxicated (maybe others bought him drinks or is it possible he used cash and that's why his CC records didn't show more drinks?) Then perhaps he was walking to find a ride or even decided to just walk home (would that have been feasible?) and met with foul play on the way. MOO

 

[zecats]

RIP Martin. Thoughts to his family.

I am wondering if him running out of the bar ends up not having anything to do with whatever went down. If this was in fact, a crime, perhaps he was just acting oddly and running around because he was intoxicated (maybe others bought him drinks or is it possible he used cash and that's why his CC records didn't show more drinks?) Then perhaps he was walking to find a ride or even decided to just walk home (would that have been feasible?) and met with foul play on the way. MOO

And if he was so intoxicated he couldn’t get served at The Alibi, he was likely easy prey for robbery. And whatever else potentially happened.

 

[Third Coast Gal]

Exactly. I've been wondering how the evening played out in the first place - Martin was in downtown Austin having dinner with his brother, his brother's girlfriend, and some of her family. The dinner is over and everyone goes home but Martin decides to go for drinks with his friends. I wonder how that happened - was it prearranged to meet them? Was it spur of the moment? It was a Sunday night, after all, and not the usual night to stay out late drinking. Then his friends either don't notice his impaired state, or maybe were themselves pretty intoxicated. And somewhere along the line Martin realizes he needs a ride home. Well, how were his friends going to get home? Couldn't they have given him a ride, or shared an Uber, or whatever? Or at least made sure he got on his way safely? I'm just trying to play the evening out in my mind and it doesn't make much sense at all. Have any of these friends made a public statement? I'd love to hear their explanation of events.

These are such good thoughts, CrimeDawg. And I especially value your opinion because you mentioned you know Rainey Street well. I have scoured the web for all news and social media related to Martin and have only found the bare facts news articles posted here. It seems like the people closest to him - his brother, his brother’s girlfriend, and a woman who was dating him, have shown great restraint in their social media posts this far.

My point is that the family has, somehow in this age of social media, been able to contain the info out there. There are no names of the friends, no statements from the friends, no rumors, no blame put out there... at least from what I have been able to find.

 

[txgirl87]

HOW do these young men leaving bars end up in the water??????

This baffles me too, especially in the winter. I don't understand how they end up in the water. No matter the mindset, what would make someone want to get in the cold water? This has happened all across the country to many men after a night of drinking. I used to follow the blog, footprints at the rivers edge, which discusses men that went missing and most later turned up in some type of body of water. It really makes me question the "smiley face theory" that started from retired detectives in New York in the 1990's.

 

[Saseegrl]

Agreed... it’s not that far... but it would be a purposeful walk to get there.

Just found this thread today and had a chance to read all of it. This hits close to home as I live in Austin and know Mitchell and his girlfriend Whitney from work.
I just want to point out that it really is not a "purposeful walk" from the location of The Alibi at 96 Rainey Street to Lady Bird Lake. It literally is a straight shot - Rainey literally dead ends into Lady Bird Lake. It is easy to plot out on google maps and look at it on the street view.
Use The Alibi at 96 Rainey Street as your starting point.
Craft Pride at 61 Rainey Street (corner of Rainey and River St) is the last bar in the Rainey Entertainment District.
If you cross River St and continue on Rainey the water is literally just a 2 city block walk. On one end of that 2 blocks is SkyHouse Austin, a new high rise apartment building at 51 Rainey (corner at River St) and another new apartment high rise Windsor On The Lake is located at 43 Rainey Street being the last building on Rainey. You are literally across a small street looking at the water standing on the corner of Rainey at The Windsor.
The body was found near the new Boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake at 1300 E. Riverside Drive which is within eye sight of The Windsor.
This area is also no longer considered "unsavory". It has become one of the largest areas of development in Downtown Austin. A 544 square foot studio at The Windsor On The Lake will set you back $1800/month and a 593 square foot 1/1 is $2100/month. And even if you where to walk away from Rainey and the water and cross over I-35 to the East Side, that area too has all been gentrified and is now a bustling mixed use area of high rise condos and bars. There could have been any number of things in the area he could have been walking too.

 

[MimosaMornings]

 

[MimosaMornings]

Lady Bird Lake Boardwalk

 

[Saseegrl]

I also think that it is worth noting that Christopher Jay White, a man from Minneapolis visiting for the Austin City Limits music festival, was also found in The Colorado River near Emma Long Park which is just 14 miles up river from where Martin was found. He had last been at his vacation rental around 6am on Saturday October 6th. He was found in the water on Monday October 8th. There is a thread on him here too but I haven't had a chance to read it.
Lake Austin and Lady Bird Lake are just 2 areas of the same body of water - the Colorado River.
There also was another man, Ford Chamberlain 24 years old, that had been missing since early October. But, his mother posted late today that he had been found tonight at an Austin library. His case received little to no news coverage.

 

[CocoChanel]

I am mourning the news that Martin was found deceased in Lady Bird Lake. I did not want that to be where and how he was found, but I am grateful his family has some of the answers they need.

This is a very strange phenomenon that has so many young men at bars near water end up dead in the water. It’s like something compels them to go toward the lake or river, and in their impaired state, they literally get in over their head. At one time I considered these cases could be the work of a serial killer, but there are just too many for that to be reasonable IMHO. Something is happening neurologically/psychologically/physically to these young men that sets this tragic scenario in motion, and always with a bad end. We never hear of a young man falling into water after a night of drinking and surviving. The factors appear to be darkness, drinking, walking off alone, water. It’s claiming too many young males, and leaving devastated families and friends in it’s wake.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Just found this thread today and had a chance to read all of it. This hits close to home as I live in Austin and know Mitchell and his girlfriend Whitney from work.
I just want to point out that it really is not a "purposeful walk" from the location of The Alibi at 96 Rainey Street to Lady Bird Lake. It literally is a straight shot - Rainey literally dead ends into Lady Bird Lake. It is easy to plot out on google maps and look at it on the street view.
Use The Alibi at 96 Rainey Street as your starting point.
Craft Pride at 61 Rainey Street (corner of Rainey and River St) is the last bar in the Rainey Entertainment District.
If you cross River St and continue on Rainey the water is literally just a 2 city block walk. On one end of that 2 blocks is SkyHouse Austin, a new high rise apartment building at 51 Rainey (corner at River St) and another new apartment high rise Windsor On The Lake is located at 43 Rainey Street being the last building on Rainey. You are literally across a small street looking at the water standing on the corner of Rainey at The Windsor.
The body was found near the new Boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake at 1300 E. Riverside Drive which is within eye sight of The Windsor.
This area is also no longer considered "unsavory". It has become one of the largest areas of development in Downtown Austin. A 544 square foot studio at The Windsor On The Lake will set you back $1800/month and a 593 square foot 1/1 is $2100/month. And even if you where to walk away from Rainey and the water and cross over I-35 to the East Side, that area too has all been gentrified and is now a bustling mixed use area of high rise condos and bars. There could have been any number of things in the area he could have been walking too.

In order to get to the water, he had to walk there (or was brought there). It's not like being at the Hula Hut where you could literally fall off the pier into the water. He had to get to the water which was blocks away. So that is what I think the poster meant by "purposeful walk". One of the news reports stated that he was last seen walking east on River St towards I-35. I am trying to figure out where he entered the water. Let's say he did walk to the water from Rainey - he would have had to walk across the hike and bike trail, through the trees, down a steepish little hill to get to the water. Not impossible, but a person would have to know they could do that. Would a person newish in town, at night, impaired, know exactly where the water was? If he was stumbling impaired, he could have fallen down the hill through the trees and brush into the water I suppose. More likely, though, he'd of walked east on the hike and bike trail to where it opens up, flattens out, and has no trees. This is towards I-35, and there is a boat ramp there near the Holiday Inn. If you are intent on entering the water, you could easily do it there. But considering the video, if he was walking east on River/Holly and got to the access road area and then walked south - I differ with you somewhat. There are typically a host of ne'er do wells hanging out in that area, and under the I-35 bridge. He could have been robbed or otherwise hurt in an altercation under or near the bridge and ended up in the water.

 

[LaborDayRN]

Just found this thread today and had a chance to read all of it. This hits close to home as I live in Austin and know Mitchell and his girlfriend Whitney from work.
I just want to point out that it really is not a "purposeful walk" from the location of The Alibi at 96 Rainey Street to Lady Bird Lake. It literally is a straight shot - Rainey literally dead ends into Lady Bird Lake. It is easy to plot out on google maps and look at it on the street view.
Use The Alibi at 96 Rainey Street as your starting point.
Craft Pride at 61 Rainey Street (corner of Rainey and River St) is the last bar in the Rainey Entertainment District.
If you cross River St and continue on Rainey the water is literally just a 2 city block walk. On one end of that 2 blocks is SkyHouse Austin, a new high rise apartment building at 51 Rainey (corner at River St) and another new apartment high rise Windsor On The Lake is located at 43 Rainey Street being the last building on Rainey. You are literally across a small street looking at the water standing on the corner of Rainey at The Windsor.
The body was found near the new Boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake at 1300 E. Riverside Drive which is within eye sight of The Windsor.
This area is also no longer considered "unsavory". It has become one of the largest areas of development in Downtown Austin. A 544 square foot studio at The Windsor On The Lake will set you back $1800/month and a 593 square foot 1/1 is $2100/month. And even if you where to walk away from Rainey and the water and cross over I-35 to the East Side, that area too has all been gentrified and is now a bustling mixed use area of high rise condos and bars. There could have been any number of things in the area he could have been walking too.

Thank you so much for commenting and welcome to WS. I'm sorry it's under such sad circumstances.

 

[Saseegrl]

I totally forgot about that boat ramp at the Holiday Inn. It is pretty much half way between Rainey and where he was found. And like you said, if he made it to the I-35 service road, it is easily seen from the service road and Festival Beach Rd.
But, they have also done a lot if clearing of brush off the hike and bike trail in the Rainey area and there is also a canoe launch right there as well with a cleared path straight to the water. It is crushed granite just like the hike and bike trail and had a bench to sit on.
Also he had been living in Austin since January, but his brother has lived here for some time so I am sure he had visited many times. And the area is pretty popular because of what all is down there.

 

[cupcakelrm]

I have come across this website numerous times over the last few years, but I have yet to sign up and actually post. I went to high school and college with Mitchell, so this case hit close to home. I found this thread in a search for updates on his disappearance. I am curious as to what will come of the toxicology report and what information surfaces over the next few weeks. Martin’s death has left family, friends, and his hometown community in shock. I hope they can provide some answers to the family soon.

 

[cybervampira]

I have come across this website numerous times over the last few years, but I have yet to sign up and actually post. I went to high school and college with Mitchell, so this case hit close to home. I found this thread in a search for updates on his disappearance. I am curious as to what will come of the toxicology report and what information surfaces over the next few weeks. Martin’s death has left family, friends, and his hometown community in shock. I hope they can provide some answers to the family soon.

Welcome to Websleuths cupcake.

I‘m sorry for your loss!

 

[LaborDayRN]

I have come across this website numerous times over the last few years, but I have yet to sign up and actually post. I went to high school and college with Mitchell, so this case hit close to home. I found this thread in a search for updates on his disappearance. I am curious as to what will come of the toxicology report and what information surfaces over the next few weeks. Martin’s death has left family, friends, and his hometown community in shock. I hope they can provide some answers to the family soon.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for joining us here.

 

[neesaki]

I do wonder if he was targeted and possibly drugged, then whoever it was followed him. Other than that nothing really makes sense to me. So very sad this happened.