ZUZU RENEE VERK, 21 ALPINE TX MISSING 10-12-16 Remains Found

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/alpinetxpd/posts/1248375001917790

Alpine Police Department
5 hrs ·
Alpine Police Department is assisting Brewster County Sheriff's Office with human remains that have been located in the Sunny Glen area just north west of Alpine. The remains were located in a shallow grave just off of Wagon Road. The investigation is ongoing and we would like to notify the public to avoid the area. The remains will sent off for identification. We will continue to update as circumstances develop.

https://www.facebook.com/alpinetxpd/photos/a.163469767074991.43002.162724880482813/1248529618568995/?type=3

Alpine Police Department
46 mins ·
Texas Rangers have arrived on scene and are currently processing evidence at the scene. Brewster County Sheriffs personnel along with Alpine Police are assisting. The evidence collection and processing may take several days. The remains are expected to be taken to University of North Texas on Monday for identification.

[texasmom]

http://www.fox4news.com/news/233583175-story

Remains found in West Texas area where North Texas woman disappeared

By: FOX4News.com Staff
POSTED:FEB 03 2017 01:41PM CST
UPDATED:FEB 03 2017 04:42PM CST

Police in the West Texas town of Alpine are working to identify remains found in a shallow grave near the area where a North Texas woman disappeared.

“Alpine Police Department is assisting Brewster County Sheriff's Office with human remains that have been located in the Sunny Glen area just north west of Alpine. The remains were located in a shallow grave just off of Wagon Road. The investigation is ongoing and we would like to notify the public to avoid the area. The remains will be sent off for identification. We will continue to update as circumstances develop,” police said on Facebook Friday.

The remains were found near where Zuzu Verk went missing last fall. The 22-year-old grew up in Keller, but attended Sul Ross State University in Alpine. She was reported missing after she missed a mid-term.

Family members said Verk went out with her boyfriend the night before she disappeared. Police said her boyfriend, Robert Fabian, is an official suspect in the case.

“The fact that we have no other missing person's cases that does make it a high probability that it could be her, but that's not for certain,” said Lt. Felipe Fierro, Alpine Police Department.

The remains will be sent to the University of North Texas to be identified and Alpine police hope to have the results returned by next week.

[texasmom]

are there other missing persons in or near alpine


West Texas deputies dig up body in shallow grave near where Zuzu Verk vanished
FILED UNDERCRIME  AT 4 HRS AGO SHARE
Liz Farmer, Breaking News producer

Human remains were found Friday in West Texas near where Zuzu Renee Verk, a 22-year-old North Texas woman, disappeared four months ago.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent stumbled upon a shallow grave while servicing equipment and called the Brewster County Sheriff's Office about 10 a.m. Friday, the Sheriff's Office said.
 
The remains were found just off Wagon Road in the Sunny Glen area just northwest of Alpine, which is the town where Verk was last seen in October, Alpine police said Friday.
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2017/02/03/human-remains-found-west-texas-near-dallas-area-woman-went-missing

  Thanks for the heads up cw618!

http://www.fox4news.com/news/233583175-story

“The fact that we have no other missing person's cases that does make it a high probability that it could be her, but that's not for certain,” said Lt. Felipe Fierro, Alpine Police Department.

[texasmom]

 

https://www.facebook.com/alpinetxpd/posts/1235932469828710

Alpine Police Department added 2 new photos.
January 22 at 5:36pm

During the early morning hours of January 22, 2017, An Officer with the Alpine Police Department attempted to stop a white 2016 Ford Mustang for failing to make a complete stop at the intersection of West Avenue E and 5th Street. The officer immediately activated his emergency lights in attempt to stop the vehicle for the traffic violation. The Mustang accelerated and continued west on Avenue E. After a short pursuit of the vehicle, the driver stopped and attempted to hide his vehicle along the railroad tracks at the 800 block of West Holland. The driver, Christopher Estrada, was placed under arrest for evading arrest and DWI.
*Estrada is innocent until proven guilty in court

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Remains-found-in-shallow-grave-near-where-Texas-coed-disappeared-412740223.html
Remains found in shallow grave near where Texas coed disappeared
February 3, 2016

ALPINE, Texas (KWTX) A Border Patrol agent who was servicing some equipment Friday found human remains in a shallow grave in a rural area near Alpine, from where a Sul Ross State University student disappeared in October 2016.

Zuzu Verk was last seen early in the morning on Oct. 12, 2016.

Authorities covered hundreds of thousands of miles from the air and on the ground in the search for the missing coed.

Alpine police Lt. Felipe Fierro says the remains were found in a brushy area with a paved road nearby.

He said police haven't received any other missing person reports since Verk’s disappearance.

The Fort Worth junior’s boyfriend, Robert Fabian, told officers he last saw her on Oct. 12.

Police in Alpine seized a 2016 Ford Mustang and a 2005 Ford F-150 pickup truck in the search for the missing student, described the Mustang as “a key piece of evidence” in the disappearance and asked anyone who saw the car between midnight on Oct. 12 through the morning of Oct. 13 to call them.

By late October, the reward offered for information leading to her whereabouts had grown to $200,000.

[texasmom]

Interview with Sheriff Dodson.  Grave was disturbed by animals, remains are scattered.

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Brewster-County-Sheriff-speaks-on-body-found-near-Alpine-412712503.html

Video at this link too:

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Authorities-investigating-human-body-found-near-Alpine-412700743.html

Blog: Human remains found in shallow grave near Alpine

First View of the Scene of Body Found
 
Posted: Fri 12:24 PM, Feb 03, 2017  |  Updated: Fri 5:45 PM, Feb 03, 2017
          
ALPINE -- We are updating this blog with the latest information on a body that was discovered Friday morning in a shallow grave.


Photo courtesy of the Alpine Police Department.

5:40 p.m. Update: According to The Alpine Police Department, Texas Rangers have arrived on scene and are taking evidence into possession, with the help of the Brewster County Sheriff's Office and Alpine Police.

The evidence collection could take several days, APD reports. The remains will be taken to the University of North Texas on Monday for identification.

5 p.m. Update: Sheriff Ronny Dodson gave a press conference to the media Friday afternoon revealing new details on the body that was found.

According to Dodson, the remains of the body are scattered over an area, requiring members of the sheriff's office and Texas Rangers to do an extensive search.

Members of the Alpine Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, DPS, and Homeland Security are expected to join in the search on Saturday.

Sheriff Dodson was not able to say if the remains that were found were male or female, but that the forensics test in Dallas would give them more information.


The family of Zuzu Verk is set to arrive at the local airport, where they will be picked up by officers with the Alpine Police Department.

Zuzu's mother, Lori, lives in Alpine currently. Zuzu's father, brother, and sister currently live out of the area.

According to Sheriff Dodson, the shallow grave was very well concealed, and they consider themselves lucky that it was found as Border Patrol agents do not normally operate in that area.

The Border Patrol trooper who found the remains was working on information relating to illegal immigrants in the area.

The area where the remains were found had been previously searched, but according to Sheriff Dodson vegetation was greener and thicker at the time.

Evidence found at the scene will be taken to a DPS lab, where it will be processed in order to help their investigation.

Sheriff Dodson says they don't expect new information to be released until Monday or Tuesday, and don't expect to clear the scene until Saturday.

What happens if the body is determined to be Zuzu?

"We'll go from there," said Sheriff Dodson.

Everything we know so far: Early Friday morning Alpine Border Patrol Agents were performing operations near Sunny Glen when they found human remains in a shallow grave.

The agents then notified the Brewster County Sheriff's Office at 10 a.m., handing off the investigation.

When BCSO arrived on scene they secured the area, and found a shallow grave which appeared to have been disturbed.

"It looks like an animal might have dug it up and scattered it about. Now we have to piece it all back together," Brewster County Sheriff Dodson said during a phone interview.

A forensics team was then requested to arrive on scene and examine the remains.

According to Sheriff Dodson, as of now they plan to send the remains to Dallas where they will be identified. They also hope to gather evidence from the remains while in Dallas.

At this time, Sheriff Dodson cannot confirm whether or not the remains are those of missing Alpine student Zuzu Verk.

He did confirm with CBS 7 that Zuzu Verk is the only current missing persons case in the area.

You can listen to Sheriff Dodson's full interview here.
---

UPDATE: United States Border Patrol has released information on the body discovered Friday morning.

According to a press release, Alpine Border Patrol agents discovered the human remains as they were performing normal Border Patrol operations.

Border Patrol then notified local and state law enforcement agencies and the investigation was turned over.
---

UPDATE: Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson tells CBS 7 his crews have a perimeter set up around the Sunny Glen area, a few miles outside of Alpine.

He says they will not be able to continue with their investigation until a forensic team from out of town arrives on scene.

Sheriff Dodson says the remains were found in a shallow grave that appeared to have been disturbed.

"It looks like an animal might have dug it up and scattered it about. Now we have to piece it all back together," sheriff Dodson said during a phone interview.

Sheriff Dodson says the remains were discovered Friday morning by a Border Patrol agent. His office was notified soon after that.

Once the forensic team is on scene, the remains will be sent to a forensic examiner in the Dallas area to get an I.D. While the remains are there, evidence will try to be taken off the remains.

CBS 7 inquired if Sheriff Dodson believes the remains are those of missing Alpine student Zuzu Verk, but were told it is too early to tell.

"Right now we really don't want to say, we don't want to jeopardize the case, what we're going to do is my deputies are going to take the remains to the forensics examiner in Dallas probably on Sunday, and we'll drop them off on Monday, and we're going to get a positive ID," said Sheriff Dodson, "We'll then go to the forensic institute there and see what kind of evidence we can get off the remains."

Sheriff Dodson confirmed that Zuzu Verk is the only reported missing person in the area.
---

UPDATE: The Alpine Police Department has released new information on the remains found:

Alpine Police Department is assisting Brewster County Sheriff's Office with human remains that have been located in the Sunny Glen area just north west of Alpine. The remains were located in a shallow grave just off of Wagon Road. The investigation is ongoing and we would like to notify the public to avoid the area. The remains will sent off for identification. We will continue to update as circumstances develop.
---

Authorities are investigating a body that was found near Sunny Glen Canyon.

According to the Brewster County Sheriff's Office, the gender of the body has not been identified.

The sheriff's office is currently working to access the area the body was found.

According to KVLF/KALP Radio in Alpine, the body was found in a shallow grave.



CBS 7 has a crew on the way to the scene and will update this story as more information is released.

[texasmom]

Video at the link.

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Photos-Views-of-the-scene-where-body-was-found-near-Alpine-412748503.html

Photos: Views of the scene where body was found near Alpine

Aerial Footage Body Found
 
Posted: Fri 7:53 PM, Feb 03, 2017  |  Updated: Fri 9:06 PM, Feb 03, 2017
         
ALPINE -- We've put together a gallery of photos showing where a body was found near Alpine Friday morning. You can view the entire gallery below.

A bird's eye view of the scene where a body was found near Alpine Friday morning.














Photo courtesy of the Alpine Police Department.


Photo courtesy of the Brewster County Sheriff's Office.

[texasmom]

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Its-not-over-yet-says-mother-of-Missing-Sul-Ross-Student-Zuzu-Verk-412747373.html



"It's not over yet," says mother of Missing Sul Ross Student Zuzu Verk

Posted: Fri 7:23 PM, Feb 03, 2017
         
ALPINE -- Zuzu's mother, Lori Verk, spoke with CBS 7 following the discovery of a body Friday morning.

According to Lori, she says she has very mixed feelings about the situation.

"I can't tell you how much I've appreciated all the love and support, can't get through this without all the support," said Lori.

"It's not over yet, not by a long stretch."

CBS 7's Deann Lopez will have an exclusive interview with Lori tonight at 10.

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/fspioneer/posts/1348597711858823

Fort Stockton Pioneer
7 hrs ·
Big Bend Border Patrol Sector finds human remains
Staff Report
Human remains were found today by Wagon Road in the Sunny Glen subdivision west of Alpine, Tx. The area is the last known place missing Sul Ross student, Zuzu Verk, was seen in Oct. 2016.
A Border Patrol Agent found what looked like a shallow grave that had been disturbed by animals. The body is said to be one of a small female. The Brewster County Sheriff’s Office will be sending the remains for positive identification.
Forensic teams from San Angelo and El Paso are being sent to the scene to help with the investigation.
We will keep you all posted as we receive details.

  from the comments:

Quiroz Jovi Pioneer it isn't appreciated that you are only speculating. It's rude and inconsiderate for the Verk family. Let the officers do their jobs. If you would be so kind, release the name of your "source".

Fort Stockton Pioneer
Fort Stockton Pioneer Thank you for your feedback. However the information came from a reliable source at the scene. Much like law enforcement and other media outlets, it is our job to protect our sources.

[texasmom]

http://www.kcbd.com/story/34425706/investigation-continues-after-body-found-near-alpine

Investigation continues after human remains found near Alpine
Saturday, February 4th 2017, 8:37 am CST
Saturday, February 4th 2017, 8:42 am CST
By Violet Trevizo, Digital Content ProducerCONNECT
 
(Source: KWES)

ALPINE, TX (KWES) -
For almost a day now, the Brewster County Sheriff’s Office has been monitoring the area near Alpine where human remains were found yesterday morning.

Today, the Alpine Police Department, Department of Public Transportation, Border Patrol and Homeland Security are assisting in the ongoing investigation.

We’re told there’s no way of knowing how long the remains had been there, but Brewster County Sheriff, Ronny Dodson, said the body was not badly decomposed. 

Authorities have not been able to confirm whether the clothing belonging to the person was that of a male or female.

The area of Sunny Glen Canyon was searched back in October when Sul Ross Student, Zuzu Verk went missing.

At the time there is no confirmation that the remains found could be those of Verk.

The evidence collection and processing is expected to take several days before being sent to the University of North Texas in Denton.

The identity of the person is expected to be known by Monday or Tuesday, according to Alpine police.

[texasmom]

 

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/crime/article/West-Texas-police-arrest-25-year-old-man-in-Zuzu-10908286.php

West Texas police arrest 25-year-old man in Zuzu Verk case
By Joshua Fechter, San Antonio Express-News Updated 9:48 am, Saturday, February 4, 2017


Robert Fabian, 25, was arrested Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017, on a warrant for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by concealing a human corpse.

Police in West Texas arrested a 25-year-old man in connection with the disappearance of 22-year-old Sul Ross State University student Zuzu Verk, who went missing in October.

Robert Fabian has been charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by concealing a human corpse, the Alpine Police Department said in a news release Saturday.

Police were investigating human remains found Friday during a routine border patrol operation northwest of Alpine in Sunny Glen.

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/alpinetxpd/posts/1249151185173505

Alpine Police Department added 2 new photos.
17 mins ·
At approximately 9:00 am this morning, Robert Fabian has been arrested on a warrant by Alpine Police Department. The warrant is for Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by concealing a human corpse. Fabian was arrested at the 500 block of S. 16th Street in Alpine.

[texasmom]

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/412779483.html



POLICE: Evidence at scene of human remains match features consistent with Zuzu Verk

ALPINE -- Alpine Police just arrested boyfriend of missing Sul Ross Student Zuzu Verk Saturday morning. Robert Fabian is charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by concealing a human corpse.

The news comes just one day after the discovery of human remains west of Alpine.

Alpine Police Chief Russell Scown confirms to CBS 7’s Deann Lopez that evidence at the scene, including the human remains, have features which are consistent with a match to Zuzu Verk. No formal identification has yet been made as the remains are being sent to a Dallas Medical Examiner.

The Verk family is not yet ready to make any public comment today, but spoke out in an emotional interview with CBS 7.

“It’s not over yet, not by a long shot,” Lori Verk said with determination. “I want to find out exactly what, when, why, how, who -- that’s what I want to find out.”

As for the other suspect in Verk’s disappearance—Chris Estrada, police and law enforcement believe he is now living in Arizona.

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/brewstercountytx/photos/a.272801596077593.73325.270335429657543/1448923645132043/?type=3&theater

Brewster County Sheriff's Office
1 hr · Edited ·
 
The Brewster County Sheriff's office is continuting on into today from yesterdays discovery of a shallow grave in the Sunny Glenn area. Area agencies gathered wit the Sheriff's Office including the Department of Homeland Security, US Border Patrol, Texas Rangers, Department of Public Safety, Brewster County Emergency Managment, and the Alpine Police Department. Investigation is still under way as law enforcement officials continue to search for evidence. This is happening as the lone suspet in the case, Robert Fabian was taken into custody earlier and is currently being held at Brewster County Jail.

[texasmom]

http://www.newswest9.com/story/34426622/alpine-police-list-chris-estrada-as-suspect-in-connection-to-zuzu-verk-case

Chris Estrada named suspect in connection to Zuzu Verk Case
Saturday, February 4th 2017, 1:12 pm CST
Saturday, February 4th 2017, 1:18 pm CST
By Violet Trevizo, Digital Content ProducerCONNECT

ALPINE, TX (KWES) -
Alpine police has listed Chris Estrada as a suspect in connection to the Zuzu Verk Case.

There's no confirmation whether there is an arrest warrant out for him at this time.

We know he has relocated to Arizona, possibly in the Phoenix area.

Stay with us as we continue to update you on this story.

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/shelley.rubinstein.54/posts/1801652150094638?match=enV6dSB2ZXJr

Lives in Alpine, Texas

Shelley Rubinstein
18 mins ·
There are about 75 different law enforcement vehicles lining the narrow road into the canyon of Sunny Glen. The sheriff's deputy at the second cattle guard coming into the canyon said that many of the things recovered at a shallow grave point to Zuzu Verk. I can't imagine how her family has suffered not knowing where she was or if she was dead or alive. Now they can grieve the loss of their beautiful, vivacious daughter, sister, friend. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

[texasmom]

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Blog-Evidence-at-the-scene-of-body-found-consistent-with-Zuzu-Verk-412780733.html

Blog: Evidence at the scene of body found consistent with Zuzu Verk

Police: Evidence consistent with Zuzu Verk
 
Posted: Sat 11:59 AM, Feb 04, 2017  |  Updated: Sat 1:47 PM, Feb 04, 2017
          
ALPINE -- We are updating this blog with the latest information following today's arrest of Robert Fabian after a body was found.


Robert Fabian was arrested Saturday morning after a body was found outside of Alpine on Friday.

1:40 p.m. Update: Additional remains have been found on Saturday.

According to Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson, finding more remains will allow investigators to better determine a cause.

Among those found today included remains that are 'crucial' to the identification and investigation, Sheriff Dodson says.

The sheriff's office is planning on taking the remains to the University of North Texas for testing either Saturday night or Sunday morning. The scene where the body was found is expected to be cleared by tonight.

Alpine Police Chief Russell Scown also tells CBS 7 that a warrant for Robert Fabian was already in the works before a body was found Friday morning.

Everything we know so far: There have been several developments after a body was found outside of Alpine Friday morning.

At 10:00 a.m. Friday, the Brewster County Sheriff's Office was notified by a U.S. Border Patrol agent that human remains had been found in a shallow grave near Sunny Glen Canyon, northwest of Alpine.


The sheriff's office, Alpine Police Department, and Texas Rangers then responded to the location and established a perimeter.

According to BCSO, the remains appeared to be disturbed.

""It looks like an animal might have dug it up and scattered it about. Now we have to piece it all back together," Sheriff Ronny Dodson said during a phone interview.

A forensics team was called to the scene, and the plan became for the remains to be taken to the University of North Texas in order to both identify them and find additional evidence.

The Verk family then flew to Alpine and were picked up by members of the Alpine Police Department other than Zuzu's mother Lori, who was already living in Alpine temporarily.

In an interview with CBS 7, Lori stated she believed that the body was her daughter.

“It’s not over yet, not by a long shot,” Lori said with determination. “I want to find out exactly what, when, why, how, who -- that’s what I want to find out.”

Just before 10 a.m. Saturday, it was announced that the Alpine Police Department had arrested boyfriend Robert Fabian with a warrant for tampering with or fabricating physical evidence by concealing a human corpse.

Another release by the Alpine Police Department stated that evidence at the scene, including human remains, have features which are consistent with a match to Zuzu, though no formal identification had been made.

As of now, Fabian remains in custody at the Brewster County Jail.

[texasmom]

https://www.facebook.com/alpinetxpd/posts/1249427835145840

Alpine Police Department added 2 new photos.
39 mins ·
Alpine Police Department would like to thank all the agencies involved during the investigation of missing person Zuzu Verk. Special thanks to Brewster County Sheriffs Office, Texas Rangers, Department of Public Safety, US Border Patrol, Texas Parks and Wildlife, HSI ALPINE, HSI EL PASO, Brewster County EMC Dave Lambrix. Your hard work and dedication is truly appreciated.
#weareone

[texasmom]

 

https://www.facebook.com/brewstercountytx/photos/a.272801596077593.73325.270335429657543/1449037678453973/?type=3&theater

Brewster County Sheriff's Office
Like This Page · 2 hrs ·
 
It has been a round the clock effort as all our area law enforcement agencies have teamed up and have been working hard on this continuing investigation. Sheriff Dodson would like to thank Alpine Police Department, Tx Department of Public Safety, Texas Rangers. Dept of Homeland Security, US Border Patrol, Brewster County Emergency Management for their vigorous efforts into the investigation. Sheriff Dodson would also like to thank the local volunteers and the Sunny Glenn residents for providing food and warm beverages to everyone involved. Investigation is on going.

[texasmom]

http://www.cbs7.com/content/news/Search-Warrant-executed-at-the-home-of-Robert-Fabians-Sister-412795413.html

Pitch forks, shovel, tools removed from home of Robert Fabian's sister

Search at Robert Fabian Sister's House
 
By News Staff | Posted: Sat 6:27 PM, Feb 04, 2017  |  Updated: Sat 9:55 PM, Feb 04, 2017
         
Alpine -- A search warrant was executed at Robert Fabian's Sister's home in Alpine.


Our crews on scene say authorities are removing possible evidence from the home and vehicles at the property.

Robert Fabian is the former boyfriend of Zuzu Verk.

According to the sister of Robert Fabian police had a search warrant to pick up shovels and hand tools, pitch forks, and any other tools used to dig or remove soil or natural ground.