Katharina Buczek
Justin Urruita, a 41-year-old man from Texas, mysteriously vanished in November 2023. Now, over three months have passed since his disappearance, and the Pecos County Sheriff’s Office is puzzled over the circumstances.
Justin, a Sugar Land resident, was last seen at his home by his mother, Vicki, on November 6, 2023, at around 5:30 p.m. Afterward, his car was found abandoned on private property near mile marker 325 off of Interstate 10.
This discovery prompted Justin to be reported missing, and an intense investigation effort was launched.
“The landowner– he called and reported there was a vehicle that was abandoned, and it was left up halfway up a mountain. That was about ten-thirty or eleven o’clock in the morning when all this was started. That was the initial call,” said Chief Deputy Tulon Murphy.
According to Chief Murphy, Justin’s car wasn’t in good shape due to both the weather and terrain, which caused it to break down.
“The vehicle was right off the interstate by a couple hundred yards. He actually broke down and drove through a gate and tried to drive down a small mountain. He made it down the hill and made it up about halfway, and then the vehicle was disabled because of the terrain,” Chief Murphy explained.
Upon arriving on the scene and finding the abandoned vehicle, authorities deployed drones, helicopters, Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs), and foot patrol efforts to search the surrounding area.
The interior of Justin’s vehicle was also searched, and inside, his personal belongings, like his wallet and cell phone, were discovered. A Bible was also located on the passenger seat.
Despite the “extensive” searches, though, investigators still did not uncover any answers in Justin’s disappearance.
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