A Texas man is headed to prison for life after shooting his girlfriend dead while she slept — then casually making a beer run before driving 150 miles to the family he kept hidden.
Juan Manuel Yanez, 49, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 43-year-old Victoria Valadez at her San Marcos apartment. He pleaded guilty to murder and will be eligible for parole after 30 years, the Hays County District Attorney’s Office said.
What happened that night
On Feb. 7, 2025, Yanez called 911 saying he had shot his “wife.” Dispatchers traced the call to an apartment on River Road in San Marcos — about 30 minutes south of Austin. Officers arrived to find Valadez with a gunshot wound to the head. There were no signs of a struggle.
Surveillance footage from a nearby 7-Eleven told a chilling story: Yanez had arrived in Valadez’s truck and bought four beers roughly 20 minutes before the 911 call. He shot her before the beer run — the beers were still cold when police arrived.
Key details:
Yanez left his wallet on Valadez’s bedside table and had her blood on his clothing and jewelry when he fled.
After calling 911, he drove over 150 miles to Houston where he lived with a separate family — ditching the murder weapon and removing his phone’s SIM card along the way.
Two lives, one secret
Detectives later discovered the two were not married, as Yanez had claimed to the 911 operator. They had been in a romantic relationship for only a few months. Prosecutors were never able to determine a motive for the killing.
Yanez was arrested near his Houston home after a brief manhunt. The murder weapon was never recovered.
What prosecutors said
“This sentence recognizes the truth of what happened in that apartment: a life was taken, a family was destroyed, and a community was disrupted.”— Assistant Criminal District Attorney Jon English
“The family showed extraordinary courage throughout this case. Their strength ensured the court saw not only the facts of the murder, but also the true cost to the victim’s family.”— Assistant Criminal District Attorney Abigail Whitaker
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Criminal District Attorneys Jon English and Abigail Whitaker.
