Melissa Ramirez and Claudine Luera Murder Details and Investigation Timeline

The case began in the city of Laredo, Texas, which is considered one of the safest cities in the country. However, this was not the case in September 2018 when the streets of the city became quite dangerous as the authorities discovered the remains of two victims — Melissa Ramirez and Claudine Luera — within 10 days of one another, about 25 miles away from downtown. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Streets of Laredo’ focuses on these two horrific murders, which left their families grief-stricken. It also delves deeper into the investigation, leading the police to an unexpected killer.

Melissa Ramirez Was a Loving Sister and a Devoted Mother

Melissa Ramirez was born as a blessing to her father and mother, Maria Cristina Benavides, on April 6, 1989. She was the kind of a daughter who made her family proud with her good grades, and her mother never had trouble raising her. She was also a loving sister who watched over her siblings with a sense of duty as she considered her sister, Erika Ramirez, and her brothers, Cesar Ramirez and Carlos Martin Gonzalez, the best parts of her life. However, everything began to shift in her early teens. Around this time, she started facing problems, which was later discovered as an untreated Bipolar Disorder. Without the proper resources or professional support, she slowly slipped into darker corners of life. Rather than leaning into her family for strength, Melissa turned her focus outward toward drugs and eventually toward sex work.

This path changed the course of Melissa’s life, and she started becoming more private and retreated from those who loved her the most. Sometimes, she would disappear for days at a time, and her family would fear the worst. However, the light seemed to slowly peek through when she welcomed her children, Cristina Chavez and Allan Ramirez. She also shared a strong connection with her sister-in-law, Gracie Ramirez, who was more like a sister to her. However, never in their worst dreams did Melissa’s family expect that the cruel wrath of fate would soon fall on them. On September 4, 2015, the remains of a woman were found on the north of Laredo, along a secluded road in Webb County, Texas. Upon checking the fingerprints, they soon identified her as 29-year-old Melissa Ramirez.

Claudine Anne Luera’s Life Was Turned Upside Down Owing to Addiction

Born on December 3, 1975, Claudine Anne Luera lit up the world of her father, Ramon Leopoldo Luera, and mother, Ann Catherine Luera. Growing up, Claudine was a jolly spirit and loved spending time playing with her siblings Angelica Maria Perez, Yolanda Katherine Ruiz, and Colette Nicole Mireles. Like any other child, she also had a life full of dreams until a traumatic event snatched her childhood. When she was less than 14 years old, she was assaulted by one of her neighbors. However, no actions were taken following this event, and it left her traumatized. Despite the damage this incident caused her, she continued to push through to seek a turning point in her life.

The turning point soon arrived when Claudine welcomed her precious children into this world — Ciara Aryane, Ramon Candelario, Rodolfo II, Malena Ignacia, and Elian Leopoldo. She never missed a chance to be present for them and started raising them with all the love and support she had to offer. Everything was going well until she got back together with an old boyfriend and started using heroin. Claudine slowly began to change, and despite her daughter’s efforts to reach out to her, it did not make any difference. She lost custody of her children and gradually turned to providing adult services to feed her habit. Little did she know that this would end up putting an abrupt halt to her life. On September 13, 2015, officials discovered Claudine’s body while searching for her regarding Melissa Ramirez’s murder.

Melissa Ramirez and Claudine Luera’s Remains Were Found Just 10 Days Apart

After the officials arrived at the scene where Melissa’s remains were found, it was determined that she was shot in the head, which was the cause of her death. They also found the shell casing of a .40 caliber handgun at the crime scene. As officials started questioning people, they came across the name — Claudine Luera, who was also in the same profession as Melissa and her acquaintance. She was found shot about two miles away from where Melissa’s remains were found just after 10 days. Claudine was soon rushed to hospital but did not survive due to the wounds. When law enforcement found out that the same weapon was used in her killing, they reportedly considered this to be the work of the same person.

Officials Finally Had a Suspect in Melissa Ramirez and Claudine Luera’s Murder

When the officials talked with Melissa’s family members, it was revealed that three weeks prior, she had a premonition that someone was going to kill her with a gun. Investigators soon received a big lead from witness accounts, which allegedly stated that they had noticed a dark-colored pickup truck parked in the area. One of these witnesses had jotted down the license plate, which led the investigators to the first suspect — Renee Arce. To their surprise, he was a Laredo police officer, and it was plausible that he had access to federal ammunition. However, further questioning, alongside a search of his home and truck, led them to a dead end. A new lead again appeared when Melissa’s mother informed the officials about a suspicious man who had been with her one week before.

It turned out it was one of Melissa’s clients, John, who was in another location when the murder happened. Since the past two leads were not viable, they started questioning Claudine’s family members. They pointed out that they suspected her boyfriend, but he also had an airtight alibi. On checking Claudine’s call records, the police found a person she had last contacted. However, he alleged that they had met before the murder and had parted ways in the evening. Although the police were skeptical, they soon realized their primary suspect was someone else. A call revealed that one of the officials ran into a woman, Erika Peña, who reportedly informed them that she was attacked with a gun by a guy named David. She managed to run away and her accounts led the police to his house, which was owned by Juan David Ortiz and his wife.

Melissa Ramirez and Claudine Luera’s Killer Was a Border Patrol Agent

Investigators also discovered that one of their registered vehicles had a veteran number plate that indicated that David served in the military. As they began searching for his vehicle, they spotted it in San Bernardo. When they confronted David, he began running away from them. They lost him, but more backup was brought to scour through the entire city block. They received a call that the remains of Giselda Cantu (another sex worker) were found off IH 35. With further information from the Border Patrol, law enforcement was aware that David was a supervisory border patrol agent. Around 2:30 am, he was finally found and arrested.

Although he initially denied these murder charges, after 8 hours of questioning, he allegedly confessed that he took both the victims to the spot and then murdered them. He also informed them about another of his victims, the 28-year-old Janelle Ortiz, who was also a sex worker. Ultimately, David Ortiz was charged with four counts of murder, one count of unlawful restraint, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and two counts of evading arrest. In January 2019, he claimed that his confession was coerced and pleaded not guilty. After an intense trial, he was convicted on the charge of multiple murders on December 7, 2022, and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.