A Texas jury has found Rene Mendez guilty of capital murder in the 2023 killings of a mother and daughter in Laredo. The verdict came Friday after a five-day trial, concluding one of the city’s most disturbing homicide cases in recent years. Mendez, 33, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The case began on March 6, 2023, when Laredo police responded to a call at an apartment complex on Lomas Del Sur Boulevard in south Laredo. When officers arrived, they found the bodies of 45-year-old Sylvia Ramos and her 21-year-old daughter, Brianna Ramos. Mendez, Sylvia Ramos’s boyfriend, was quickly identified as the primary suspect.
According to the Webb County District Attorney’s Office, investigators determined that Mendez strangled Brianna and stabbed Sylvia 55 times with a sharp object. An emotional scene unfolded at the time of discovery when an unidentified man—later confirmed to be Sylvia Ramos’s brother—flagged down officers, shouting, “Come here,” “Hurry,” and “My sister was killed.” Upon entering the apartment, police confirmed both women were dead.
Laredo police immediately issued a “be on the lookout” alert for Mendez. Later that same day, officers responded to a separate emergency call at a Motel 6 on San Bernardo Avenue, where Mendez was found after an apparent overdose.
During the trial, prosecutors presented DNA and blood evidence, as well as security footage, linking Mendez directly to the crime. “The evidence was overwhelming,” said Assistant District Attorney Kassandra De Hoyos, who led the prosecution along with ADA Jesus Vigil, ADA Omar Villarreal, and Cristal Calderon.
Defense attorneys Fred Trevino and Mario Castillo Jr. argued that investigators mishandled the crime scene and questioned the chain of custody for several pieces of evidence. However, the jury rejected that argument and returned a guilty verdict on Friday afternoon.
The trial was presided over by Judge Rebecca Palomo of the 341st District Court. Following the verdict, Judge Palomo imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, as required by Texas law for capital murder involving multiple victims.
“This verdict delivers justice for Sylvia and Brianna Ramos,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “We commend the Laredo Police Department and our prosecutors for their tireless work to bring closure to the victims’ families.”
The case serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence—a tragedy that has left a community mourning the loss of two innocent lives.