MURDER
CASE #: 1997-52
Socorro Moran-Mendoza
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Rogers, Arkansas
Summary:
A 42-year-old Hispanic woman, Socorro Moran-Mendoza, was found dead inside a suitcase in a wooded area off Gann Ridge Road north of Pea Ridge National Military Park in rural Benton County on February 1, 1997. She had been strangled and beaten. Moran-Mendoza had previously been reported missing in Mexico by her boyfriend. The case remains unsolved.
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
An animal trapper reported on February 1, 1997, that he found a body inside a suitcase in the northeastern area of Benton County, near Pea Ridge. The suitcase, covered with rocks and debris, was located in a ravine next to a small creek. The body of Socorro Moran-Mendoza was found inside a suitcase in a wooded area off Gann Ridge Road, north of Pea Ridge National Military Park in rural Benton County, on February 1, 1997. She had been strangled and beaten.
Additional Details:
Moran-Mendoza had previously been reported missing in Mexico by her boyfriend. The Arkansas State Police was requested to assist with the homicide investigation by the Benton County Sheriff's Office on February 1, 1997. The 42-year-old woman lived in Rogers. With limited media coverage at the time and few new leads in the years since, Socorro's case has largely been forgotten outside of her family. She was a mother, a member of her community, and a woman whose story deserves to be told.
Case Last Updated:
Associated Persons
Unknown U. (Spouse) - Unknown
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