A 48-year-old Honduran man residing in Texas has been taken into custody and charged with murder after allegedly shooting his girlfriend as she slept and then coercing his young nephew into helping dispose of her body.
Gruesome Discovery in the Woods
Jesus Varela stands accused of killing his girlfriend, Christelrose Angel Ramirez, inside the Houston-area home they shared with his nephew. Prosecutors allege that on December 1, Varela shot Ramirez while she was sleeping.
He then reportedly forced his nephew to assist him in placing her body into a trash bag. The bag was then wrapped inside three additional bags and stuffed into a blue barrel. Houston police discovered this barrel in a wooded area on December 10.
Authorities were led to the scene after pinging Ramirez's mobile phone. Crucially, location data from Varela's own phone allegedly placed him at the same spot on the morning of December 1.
Nephew Threatened into Compliance
At a probable cause hearing, a judge detailed how Varela allegedly intimidated his nephew. He is said to have told the boy he had "already killed one person and wanted to kill another," while gripping his shirt. Reports indicate Varela also struck the nephew in the chest.
Fearing for his life, the nephew helped his uncle hide the corpse. The pair also disposed of the bed where Ramirez had been sleeping, dumping it at a nearby apartment complex.
The crime came to light only after one of the nephew's friends overheard him discussing the incident and alerted the Texas Rangers. The nephew subsequently provided a full confession to investigators.
A History of Abuse and a Plea of Innocence
When police searched the couple's home, they reportedly found numerous dried blood stains in the shower, bedroom, and above the bed. "There was also blood above the bed where the complainant would have been sleeping when she was shot," said Harris County District Attorney Gilbert Sawtelle.
An autopsy confirmed Ramirez's identity and determined her cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.
However, when questioned, Varela told police he and Ramirez had argued around Thanksgiving, after which she left for several days. He claimed she returned on November 30, but was gone when he came home from work on December 1. Appearing in court shackled and in an orange jumpsuit, Varela maintained his innocence, stating, "I want to say only that I am innocent," before being stopped by the judge as he lacked legal representation.
Ramirez's family described her as a kind and helpful person. "She didn't deserve this," her aunt, Maggie Ramirez, said. "She helped the whole world. She helped strangers." Family members revealed her on-and-off relationship with Varela had been abusive, and police had been called to their home for a domestic dispute in November—an incident that resulted in Ramirez's own arrest.
The family is now fundraising for her funeral and hopes her case will encourage others in abusive situations to seek help.
Varela is currently being held without bail on charges of murder, tampering with a corpse, assault of a family member, and unlawful restraint. He is also under an immigration hold by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
