Today is Saturday, April 16th, 2022.

On this day in 1960, schoolteacher Irene Garza went missing.

The case went unsolved for decades.

Welcome to Today in True Crime, a Spotify original from Parcast. Due to the graphic nature of these crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussion of murder and sexual assault. we advise extreme caution for children under 13.

Today we're covering the shocking disappearance of Irene Garza. Let's go back to McCallin, Texas, on April 16, 1960. It was one day before Easter, and Irene Garza was headed to confession at the Sacred

Heart Catholic Church. Her faith was deeply important to her. She went to Mass nearly every

single day, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to spend some extra time at Sacred Heart.

But when night fell and she still hadn't returned home, her father, Nick Garza, got worried.

It wasn't like his daughter to stay out late without checking in.

Though she was 25 years old, she always kept in touch with her family about her plans.

Nick waited until the following morning, April 17th,

to be sure Irene wasn't out with friends.

When he awoke to find her still missing,

his worry turned to panic.

Irene's car was discovered parked about a block from the church,

but she was nowhere to be found.

No one in her family knew where she could be, and they'd been planning to spend Easter together.

Nick decided he would have to report his daughter missing.

But the next real clue didn't come from a detective.

A local man found Irene's shoe on the side of the road.

Her purse and wallet were later discovered nearby too. The Garza family feared the worst,

and five days after she disappeared, their nightmares became reality. Irene was found dead

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