Editor's Note: This article has been updated to clarify information about the timeline and location of events.
Search crews discovered the body of an adult woman along the banks of the Guadalupe River on Tuesday evening while combing the area for a New Braunfels resident reported missing last week. The find drew a fast response from officers along the riverfront and nearby trails. Authorities have not yet confirmed who the woman is, and the New Braunfels Police Department says the investigation remains active.
Search Teams Locate Remains Near Rusk Lane
New Braunfels police and fire personnel, along with volunteers from Texas Search and Rescue (TexSAR) and the New Braunfels Community Emergency Response Team, were working the river corridor when they found the remains at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. The body, which officials described as an adult female, was located on the riverbank near the 700 block of Rusk Lane, as reported by KENS 5. Investigators secured the scene, documented the area and continued searching along the shoreline and in nearby vegetation. The discovery came as part of a broader effort to find a local resident who had been reported missing earlier in the week.
Who Authorities Were Searching For
Officers had been looking for 59-year-old Juliet Watson, who was reported missing on May 26 and was last seen walking on West Lincoln Street, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The outlet notes that Watson is a former New Braunfels city council member and that city officials entered her information into state and national missing-person databases. When she was first reported missing, a city spokesperson said there were no immediate signs of foul play. In the days leading up to the recovery, community members organized searches and put up notices around town.
Identification and Investigation Underway
Authorities say a positive identification has not yet been made. The remains will be sent to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and formal identification, per KENS 5. The New Braunfels Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is leading the case and has asked for patience while forensic work is completed. Investigators have not released any information about the cause or manner of death, and no arrests have been announced.
River Conditions and Public Safety
The recovery follows a sanitary sewer overflow into the Guadalupe River on May 27, which New Braunfels Utilities reported in a company news release. NBU said crews contained the release, disinfected affected areas and collected water samples both upstream and downstream to evaluate any impacts. Officials have urged river users to be cautious while cleanup and monitoring continue. City and utility leaders are working with state regulators as testing progresses.
Anyone with information about the missing person case or Tuesday’s recovery is asked to call 911 or contact the New Braunfels Police Department at 830-221-4100, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. Police have also asked residents to stay away from the riverbank search area while investigators continue their work. This story will be updated if officials release additional details.
