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By Alia Shoaib
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A man has been arrested in connection with the 2019 killing of a Texas woman after investigators used digital forensics to gather new evidence in the years-old cold case.
Meagan Gonzales, then 20, was reported missing on November 15, 2019. Her body was discovered weeks later in a Bexar County field, burned and severely decomposed, and wrapped in a blanket.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar announced on October 31 that a man had been arrested and charged with tampering with evidence involving a human corpse.
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Joey Emiliano Tovar Vargas, 24, has been accused of disposing of Gonzales's body, but has not been charged with her murder.
"In a criminal investigation, there’s what you believe happened, and there’s what you can prove happened," Salazar said at a press conference.
"We believe, obviously, that Mr. Tovar is somewhat at least responsible for what ultimately happened to Meagan. What we can prove at this point is that he disposed of her body," he said.
New Technology Uncovered New Evidence
Investigators said Gonzales was last seen alive in her vehicle with Tovar Vargas on November 11, 2019, days before she was reported missing.
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The sheriff said that Tovar Vargas was an early suspect, but detectives could not find sufficient evidence connecting him to the crime, leading to the case turning cold. Salazar said he believed the pair were dating at the time of her death.
However, in 2025 the sheriff's office cold case team began reexamining evidence already collected using new technology.
A forensic examination of Tovar Vargas's cellphone uncovered a "treasure trove of information," Salazar said.
Phone records placed Tovar Vargas in the areas where Gonzales's personal belongings were dumped and where her truck was ultimately found.
Investigators also discovered photos on his phone showing a blanket with a "distinctive pattern" in his home—which appeared to be the same blanket Gonzales’ decomposing body was found wrapped in.
The investigation also discovered searches on his phone about how long fingerprints last and how to delete social media accounts.
Salazar said investigators believe Tovar Vargas also asked a witness for help moving a body. Witnesses also reported seeing him dispose of evidence in the days after Gonzales disappeared.
The sheriff said investigators currently have no other suspects in the case and are appealing to the public for further information.
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Family Feels ‘Relief’ But Want Answers
Meagan's father, Eddie Gonzales, told Fox San Antonio that he was "emotional" and felt "a little bit of relief," after Tovar Vargas’ arrest.
"I really wish that you would just give in and say exactly what happened to my daughter," Eddie said, addressing the suspect.
Sheriff Salazar said that the suspect has a lengthy criminal record. At the time of his arrest, he was also wanted on an unrelated human smuggling warrant in another county.
Tovar Vargas had also been a suspect in three separate domestic violence cases involving different women, the sheriff said.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Robert Greenall and Matthew Cannon
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