
After a yearlong investigation, San Antonio Police Department has confirmed the arrest of four individuals in connection with a grim double murder case. The suspects identified as Austyn Hartnett, Michael Trevino, Esteban Flores, and Bradlee Grinde are facing charges for the deaths of two young men whose lives were tragically cut short in July 2023. In a move to piece together the final moments of the victims, investigators meticulously followed the breadcrumbs left behind by a rental car's tracking device, according to reports by FOX San Antonio.
The case began to unfold after police were called to a shooting on the 1800 block of Lockhill Selma, where initially no evidence of violence was to be found. However, to utterly grip the narrative's thread, the following day a report came in that would ignite the investigation: a family member expressing concern over a missing relative. The rented vehicle connected to the missing individuals was soon located, drenched in silence but echoing stories of violence in the "lots of blood" found within, as detailed by KSAT. It was a stark harbinger of the grisly discovery to come.
By July 25, 2023, the ominous trails converged on a shallow grave, hidden in the woods off Mauerman Road on the city's south side - the final resting place of the two 20-year-old victims. While San Antonio police refrained from disclosing the names of the deceased at a press conference, what they revealed was a story of lives brutally extinguished and the grim task of seeking justice amidst the silence left behind.
The break in the case came in part due to collaboration with federal authorities, leading to the apprehension of two suspects already in federal custody on unrelated charges. Almost a year later, with assistance from the FBI, two suspects were arrested on federal charges, KSAT's reporting provides insight into the investigative pivot that brought new charges in light of the murders. Hartnett, whose arrest came most recently, faces an additional charge of tampering with evidence for allegedly moving the vehicle post-crime.
All suspects, now connected in a narrative none would wish to author, stand accused not just of capital murder but also of charges including tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. This latest chapter in the case marks a point of grim resolution as the community still grapples with the loss and the law prepares to firmly, and finally, hold accountable those who sought to obscure their deeds in shadow and silence.