Former 38th Judicial District prosecutor Erin Benavides, 54, was found dead inside a Port Aransas home on Oct. 14 after police responded to a welfare-check call, according to Uvalde Leader-News. Authorities believed her death was a suicide, but the investigation remained pending as of Oct. 28.
Benavides served as an assistant district attorney from Jan. 17, 2023, through Aug. 31, 2026, according to Uvalde Leader News. Her responsibilities included a state grant-funded role with the district’s Anti-Gang and Border Prosecution Unit, the outlet reported. The San Antonio Express-News reported that she was unemployed when she died.
Port Aransas Police Lt. Joseph Rivas said there was nothing at the home to indicate her death was anything other than a suicide, according to the Express-News. He said Benavides appeared to have been living alone. Journals found in the residence indicated she had been looking for work, the paper reported.
What Led Police to the Home
Police were called the evening of Oct. 14 after a friend of Benavides’ current husband, attorney Pablo “Paul” Benavides, received an alarming text from her about 15 minutes earlier, the Express-News reported. Officers forced their way into the home and found her body. Paul Benavides, who lives in San Antonio, owns the Port Aransas home.
Erin and Paul Benavides married in June 2022, according to the Uvalde outlet. Erin Benavides was previously married to former San Antonio Spurs player Brent Barry; they divorced in 2011, the Express-News reported.
A Law Career Built Around Border Prosecution
The Express-News reported that Benavides earned her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2013. She spent more than three years as an assistant district attorney for the 38th Judicial District, including work tied to the region’s anti-gang and border initiatives.
The Statewide Framework for Anti-Gang Work
A 2017 statewide gang assessment from the Texas Department of Public Safety said effective strategies combine intelligence, patrol, investigative and prosecutorial resources. That general policy framework does not establish the local unit’s specific work or results.
The investigation into her death remained open as of Oct. 28, with no additional findings released at that time, per the earlier Uvalde Leader News reporting cited above.
