The prime suspect in a Houston-area murder case was found dead by law enforcement officials on Friday.
Jhon Venegas Romero, 24, was found in the town of Needville after deputies from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a person seen hanging.
Romero was suspected in the stabbing death of his wife, 23-year-old Anyi Tatiana Montealegre Izquierdo, on Oct. 14 in the couple’s home in nearby Richmond. The location Romero was found is about two miles from where he was believed to last be seen alive, deputies said.
Jhon Venegas Romero, 24, was found dead four days after his wife was murdered. Romero was the prime suspect in her death, police say. (Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office)
He was identified based on clothing, tattoos and a passport that was found. Investigators said that Romero’s clothes he was wearing when last spotted alive on surveillance footage from Oct. 14 matched what was on his body.
“While a thorough investigation is underway to ensure all protocols are followed, this appears to be a suicide,” said Sheriff Eric Fagan, according to Fox 26 in Houston. “Our deepest condolences go out to all families affected by this tragedy.”
The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a man hanging from a tree, and they found Romero. (iStock)
While the manhunt ensued, Izquierdo’s family told KHOU that Romero grew up and spent his entire life in a jungle in Colombia and probably knew survival skills to stay on the run in rural areas like the one southwest of the greater Houston area.
The family was worried Romero would hurt someone else if he wasn’t captured.
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Cousins of Izquierdo said they often had to intervene when Izquierdo and Romero fought constantly after they moved to the U.S. They added that Romero tried to kill her when they lived in Colombia.
They said Izquierdo moved to the U.S. with Romero so they could raise money for their family and child left behind in Colombia.
Colombian Consulate General Andres Diaz told Fox 26 that he wishes things turned out differently.
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“I regret to hear the news of Romero’s death, like I would any Colombian native. However, I would have liked him to turn himself over to the authorities and face the law,” Diaz said.
Izquierdo’s family said they wished for her body to be repatriated to Colombia. Diaz said that could take several weeks as the case remains under investigation.
“We take them step by step the process it’s not a short process, unfortunately. It will probably take 4–6 weeks to repatriate the body,” Diaz said.
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In addition to helping repatriate Izquierdo’s body, the consulate is also paying for funeral services.
“Unfortunately this American dream ended really bad for this girl, and we are very apologetic,” Diaz said.
