Husband of Woman Found Dead Near Fayetteville Indicted for Murder

A Fayette County Grand Jury indicted 45-year-old Carlos Vera-Flores of Fayetteville for the capital murder of his wife, Viviana Ortiz Zuniga.

The indictment states that on or about April 3, Vera-Flores killed Ortiz Zuniga “by unknown manner and means.” The indictment goes on to state that Vera-Flores committed the murder while kidnapping or attempting to kidnap his wife.

The grand jury indicted him on two additional felony charges: assault on a public servant and abuse of a corpse.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office along with the Texas Rangers discovered the body of Ortiz Zuniga on property along Coufal Rd. north of Fayetteville on April 16. One of the law enforcement officers who helped recover the body reportedly suffered an injury due to the means by which the body was concealed. That resulted in the second charge of assault on a public servant.

The third indictment, for abuse of a corpse, states that Vera-Flores “did then and there, intentionally and knowingly, or recklessly without legal authority, knowingly conceal a human corpse namely the body of Viviana Ortiz Zuniga.”

The three indictments were handed down last Thursday, May 22.

Court records show that the couple was getting a divorce at the time, but the divorce had not been finalized. Vera-Flores had previously been charged with stalking, and he had a restraining order barring him from contact with his wife.

Ortiz Zuniga was last seen alive on the evening of April 2. Her vehicle was later recovered in Austin County.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office has directed all questions about the case to the Texas Rangers, who are leading the investigation. The Record reached out to the Rangers to inquire about the cause of death, whether any accomplices were involved, and how the officer was injured. They have not responded.

Court records regarding the restraining order state that Vera-Flores was an immigrant from Mexico who was living in the United States illegally.