LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The Laredo killings were some of America's most brutal serial murders where four women, all sex workers, became victims to a deranged Border Patrol agent named Juan David Ortiz.
NBC 'Dateline' is set to investigate the case and will feature more exclusive interviews with the loved ones of the four women. 'The Streets of Laredo' will be the true crime show's first new episode after it went on a summer rerun hiatus. It will air on the channel on Friday, September 15 at 9 pm ET.
Who is Juan David Ortiz?
Ortiz gave the appearance of a normal family man as he lived with his wife and children in the city of Laredo. He was loved and respected by everyone in the community.
He was a Border Patrol agent who, thanks to his clean record and consistently good service to the South Texas Border Intelligence Center, managed to get promoted to the position of Intelligence Officer at just 35 years of age.
Besides being a reputed agent, he also acquired a Master's degree in International Relations while working.
However, their cozy suburban life took a bizarre turn as he killed several women in a span of two weeks.
Ortiz was a frequent visitor to the parts of the city that were known for prostitutes. He used to often take the sex workers in his car or even to his own home when his children and wife were away.
It was in September 2018 that he started his killing spree with Melissa Ramirez by shooting her dead, followed by the similar murder of Claudine Luera within 10 days. He attempted to kill another woman but failed, which led to investigators gleaning his identity.
Nevertheless, Ortiz went on to kill two more sex workers, one of whom was a transgender woman. While he planned on killing more, he was eventually apprehended by DPS troopers and confessed to the killings.
What happened to Juan David Ortiz?
Ortiz's own involvement in the investigation as a Border Patrol supervisor was a major reason for him being proven guilty. He said in his confession that he wanted to "eradicate" sex workers, per USA Today.
Changing tack, Ortiz tried to plead innocence in January 2019, arguing that he was coerced into a confession while being mentally unwell., according to LMT Online.
While he was not given the death penalty, the trial went against him as the jury voted in favor of the victims.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in December 2022 for the four murders in Laredo. Ortiz was transferred from the Webb County prison to another a few hours from the city close to Brazoria County, as per KGNS.
