A 14-year-old cold case involving the brutal murder of Irasema Chavez, who was in her early 30s, has finally seen a breakthrough, thanks to advances in DNA technology. Chavez was found dead inside her Arlington, Texas, apartment on January 20, 2012, after suffering nearly 100 stab wounds. Investigators found no signs of forced entry, suggesting she likely knew the attacker.

Earlier this month, police arrested Mayra Velasquez, 42, on charges of capital murder. Currently, she is being held without bond.

The breakthrough came on a single drop of blood recovered from the crime scene that did not belong to Chavez. Investigators believed it likely belonged to the killer. Although the DNA profile didn’t match anyone in databases at the time, Arlington police preserved the evidence for future analysis.

In 2016, police sent the sample for analysis at Parabon Nanolabs, which used DNA phenotyping to generate a predicted image of the suspect based on genetic markers linked to ancestry, hair color, skin tone and other facial features. Despite producing a composite image, detectives were unable to identify a suspect.

The investigation gained new momentum in 2024, when Arlington homicide officers floated the idea of using the FBI’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy (ICG) program to construct a more comprehensive DNA profile of the crime scene. Using advanced DNA analysis combined with public genealogy databases and deep family-tree research, invesigators finally developed a significant lead.

After additional research over the two years, detectives gathered enough evidence to identify Velasquez as the suspect. While authorities did not disclose the nature of the evidence, they obtained an arrest warrant.

Velasquez was 27 years old at the time of the killing. In the years after the unsolved murder, she had been working as a realtor and maintained an active social life.

While authorities have not publicly confirmed what relationship, if any, existed between Velasquez and Chavez, there have been speculations that the two were romantically involved.

The IGG remains one of the powerful investigative instruments but also one of the most tightly regulated tools available to law enforcement.

As per policies, traditional investigative methods must be exhausted before requesting access to the IGG program. The technique has been used to solve some high-profile cases, including the Golden State Killer and the University of Idaho student murders.

The technology has also drawn criticism from privacy advocates, who argue it inadvertently exposes relatives of criminal suspects to law enforcement scrutiny.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.