Puzzle Persists: East Austin Homicide Remains Unresolved Nearly Three Decades Later

Stephen Arevalo, 30, was stabbed to death in Austin, Texas, in November 1995.

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Approaching 30 Years, Unsolved Murder of Stephen Arevalo Haunts Family

The nearly 30th anniversary of the unsolved murder leaves his family grieving and asking questions. Stephen’s sister, Sara Arevalo-Lee, notes that Stephen’s two girls, who were five and seven at the time, are now grown and miss their grandfather.

The deaths of Stephen’s wife and father, who died without knowing who killed Stephen, have made the past few years exceptionally difficult for the family. Families are still without closure as the case remains unsolved.

Detectives cannot identify Stephen Arevalo’s killer. The Austin police held a press conference last year for tips, but nothing came up. Stephen was left in an alley behind his home on Sixth Street and Brushy Street, now an apartment complex, on Thanksgiving Day 1995. A relative in the residence saw a black pickup truck rushing out of the alley two hours later.

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Three Decades Later, Unsolved Murder of Stephen Arevalo Echoes the Search for Justice

The family member found Arevalo on the ground with stab wounds. Nothing substantial has happened despite investigations. Detective Sergeant Matt Sanders said they have truck information, but it’s hard to link it to the crime.

Though technology has progressed since 1995, police say there is no forensic evidence worth pursuing. Sanders stated in 2022 that crime scene objects were not retained for DNA due to historical procedures.

The family urges witnesses to come forward, appealing to the perpetrator’s compassion. Arevalo-Lee urges people to understand the family’s suffering, especially after losing a sibling, father, or husband. Arevalo-Lee expressed the family’s suffering and the need for closure and justice, underlining the necessity of justice. As the 30th anniversary approaches, the unsolved murder reminds us of Stephen Arevalo’s tragic death and the search for justice.

READ ALSO: East Austin murder still unsolved after almost 30 years