Rosa Medina

Summary

Snapped: Women Who Murder – Episode Summary: Rosa Medina

Episode Title: Rosa Medina
Release Date: August 3, 2025
Hosted by: Oxygen

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Snapped: Women Who Murder, Oxygen delves into the tragic and complex case of Rosa Medina and the murder of her friend, Inez Santa Cruz. Spanning several years of investigation, the episode unravels the intricate relationships, motives, and technological advancements that ultimately led to justice for Inez.

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Discovery of the Body

The story begins on Labor Day Weekend in 2012, deep in the remote expanse of Edwards County, Texas. A hunter stumbles upon a shocking scene:

• [01:44] Narrator: "A hunter in hill country stumbles upon a shocking scene."
• [01:53] Witness: "The first thing came in my mind was being so close to the border. You know, there was cartel investigators."

The victim, later identified as Inez Santa Cruz, was found nude with a plastic bag over her head, indicating a clear case of homicide.

---

Initial Investigation

Authorities swiftly respond, with the Edwards County Sheriff's Department and the Texas Rangers taking charge. The initial response reveals unsettling details:

• [05:43] Narrator: "Investigators carefully remove the plastic bag from the victim's head."
• [06:06] Investigator: "The fact that she was nude and there was a bag overhead, it was definitely not a hunting accident. It was a homicide."

Autopsy results indicate that Inez was shot twice in the back of her head, suggesting she was facing away from her attacker.

---

Background on Inez Santa Cruz and Rosa Medina

To understand the motive, the podcast delves into the lives of both Inez and Rosa.

• [15:11] Narrator: "Inez Santa Cruz was born on February 13, 1985, in Nogales, Arizona."
• [16:00] Narrator: "When Inez's teammate Rosa had issues at home, the Santa Cruz family welcomed her into theirs with open arms."

Their high school friendship blossomed into a romance, which eventually cooled, reverting to a close friendship.

---

The Relationship and Motives

As the investigation progresses, the focus shifts to the strained relationship between Inez and Rosa.

• [39:09] Expert: "Rosa lived in San Antonio and wanted Inez to move to San Antonio to be with her. But Inez ended up finding a good job as a scrub nurse in Tucson, Arizona, where she lived, where her mother lived and eventually made the decision not to move to San Antonio."
• [39:42] Narrator: "As years pass, Rosa goes on with her life."

Inez's decision not to relocate appears to be a significant trigger for the ensuing tragedy.

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Arrest and Trial of Troy Ryder

Troy Ryder, the first person to discover Inez's body, becomes a key suspect. His initial denials and inconsistent statements raise suspicions.

• [27:10] Narrator: "Investigators locate Marty's superiors in the military."
• [28:48] Investigator: "The video showed Inez and showed Troy. Just shows that they were together prior to her being killed."

Despite fabricating stories about a hitchhiker, digital evidence and surveillance videos link Troy directly to the crime, leading to his arrest.

• [30:12] Expert: "Mr. Ryder was charged with capital murder and was facing either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole."
• [38:06] Expert: "The negotiated plea agreement was for 75 years. Mr. Ryder will not be eligible for parole until he has served 30 years of that sentence."

---

New Evidence and Rosa's Involvement

Years later, advancements in forensic technology breathe new life into the case, pointing fingers back at Rosa Medina.

• [40:50] Investigator: "It proved that Rosa did know Inez was coming to Texas."
• [41:50] Expert: "A week before the killings, Rosa was doing searches for date rape, drug, slipping a mickey, how to make untraceable calls."

Digital forensics revealed deleted messages and searches that implicated Rosa in orchestrating the murder.

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Trial and Sentencing

Confronted with overwhelming evidence, Rosa Medina is finally apprehended. However, respecting the wishes of Inez's family, authorities pursue a plea bargain instead of a prolonged trial.

• [44:24] Expert: "She agreed and entered into a negotiated plea bargain for manslaughter."
• [44:32] Law Enforcement: "In April 2022, Rosa pleads guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter and receives an 18-year sentence."

Rosa’s sentencing brings some closure, though the full motive remains rooted in complex emotional dynamics.

---

Conclusion and Aftermath

The episode concludes by reflecting on the enduring pain left by Inez's murder and the elusive quest for understanding why it happened.

• [45:05] Narrator: "While it is comforting that Rosa is finally behind bars, there is little that can ease the pain of not understanding why."
• [45:16] Family Member: "I see the world very temporary, very limited. I live in the moment like my daughter taught me. I'm very proud of the person she was."

Troy Ryder remains incarcerated at Memorial Unit Prison, while Rosa Medina faces an 18-year sentence, bringing a semblance of justice for Inez's family.

---

Notable Quotes

• [06:17] Expert: "If you're dealing with a naked female, then there's always going to be the thought of a sexual assault."
• [31:35] Narrator: "And new accusations bring new questions."
• [35:08] Narrator: "Trusting that Troy was Rosa's assistant, Inez accepted the ride and the tea."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode masterfully weaves a narrative of friendship, betrayal, and the relentless pursuit of truth. It highlights how technological advancements can reopen cold cases, bringing justice years after a crime has been committed. Through detailed storytelling and compelling interviews, Snapped: Women Who Murder provides listeners with a thorough understanding of the factors leading to Inez Santa Cruz's tragic death and the eventual apprehension of those responsible.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

A hunter in hill country stumbles upon a shocking scene.

[Investigator]

She was nude and there was a bag overhead.

[Witness]

The first thing came in my mind was being so close to the border. You know, there was cartel investigators.

[Narrator]

Antennas quickly go up.

[Investigator]

His first comment was that he did not kill her.

[Witness]

There was something suspicious about him.

[Narrator]

But an unexpected twist reveals a decades old romance.

[Family Member]

It was during high school that she fell in love with her.

[Expert]

They kept coming back to each other.

[Narrator]

Behind the devotion, investigators find a single minded killer with a deadly plan.

[Hunter]

She crossed alive. I mean a wife, kids.

[Expert]

In 2019, the technology to really take a deep dive into these phones had advanced.

[Family Member]

You've opened up a very deep and painful moment.

[Forensic Analyst]

I was able to rebuild the web pages, deleted text messages, phone calls.

[Expert]

The house of cards started to collapse.

[Narrator]

100 miles from San Antonio, Edwards County, Texas is worlds away from city life.

[Expert]

It's very, very sparsely populated. Open land, sagebrush desert. Really out in the middle of nowhere. And it's mainly, you know, ranchers and hunting leases.

[Narrator]

Labor Day Weekend 2012 on the afternoon of September 2nd, an emergency call comes in to the Edwards County Sheriff's Department.

[Expert]

The sheriff's department received a 911 call from some guys that were out at a hunting lease.

[Hunter]

This is basically a big ranch that was split up into multiple tracts of land for the purpose of hunting.

[Narrator]

The caller, 45 year old Mark Bauer, makes a frantic report.

[Hunter]

One of my guests, Tommy went to go check all our pig traps that we had set on our place. The next thing I know he came back to camp and he said there's a, there's a dead body up there. So I got my cell phone and called it into the sheriff's department and they told us to just hang tight at camp and sheriff would come out.

[Expert]

The first responders were the Edwards County Sheriff's along with the Texas Rangers.

[Narrator]

Officials find Mark and the other two hunters, 30 year old Tommy Darity and 38 year old Troy Ryder.

[Hunter]

As soon as they pulled in they said who all has been up there? And Troy said he was up there and my guest Tommy.

[Witness]

When the sheriff got to the camp, they asked general questions if I saw anything out of the ordinary up there. At the time I was still in shock.

[Hunter]

They asked us to take them up there to show them. So we went up all the way up to where the body was.

[Witness]

The body was just off the dirt road and it was right there in the, in the bar ditch area.

[Investigator]

There was a woman that was found that was nude. There was a bag overhead.

[Hunter]

They said, okay, y' all can all go back to your camp. We'll come see y' all when we're done up here.

[Narrator]

Investigators carefully remove the plastic bag from the victim's head.

[Investigator]

It was clear that she had been shot.

[Expert]

The gunshot wound was to the back of her head. The blood had not coagulated yet and that suggested that the body had not been there for very long.

[Investigator]

The fact that she was nude and there was a bag overhead, it was definitely not a hunting accident. It was a homicide.

[Expert]

If you're dealing with a naked female, then there's always going to be the thought of a sexual assault.

[Narrator]

But a new discovery throws this theory into question.

[Law Enforcement]

The deputies found the clothing separate from the body, but very near. Looking at the clothing, it was consistent with somebody receiving a head wound and bleeding downward. All the patterns they matched. So whoever shot her took her clothes off after she was shot.

[Expert]

The picture starting to form, how this crime played out was a planned execution.

[Narrator]

With the clothing, deputies locate a wallet and an Arizona driver's license.

[Law Enforcement]

They found a wallet with a military ID with the name of Ines Santa Cruz. They call it a presumptive ID at the scene because the picture looks like.

[Narrator]

Her investigators turn the victim's body over to the medical examiner for an official autopsy. Then they head back to the camp to get more information from the three hunters.

[Witness]

This is all privately owned land. The main road leads you into your property. That's where you would have the campground.

[Expert]

These men brought out their four wheelers, their guns. They had set hog traps. So they were out there, just boys being boys. They were all separated and interviewed individually.

[Narrator]

Tommy Darity explains that he and Mark were at the camp for the holiday weekend. The evening before, things were winding down when Troy Ryder, a guest at a neighboring camp, drove up. Around 7pm.

[Hunter]

I realized it was Troy, who I'd met twice before because he's been a guest of another property owner out there. He said, well, he was just out driving and we're on the ranch. Common courtesy. Anybody that shows up, we offer him a beer, a coke, a soda, whatever. Welcome to hang out with us, eat dinner with us. That's just the way we are.

[Narrator]

Dinner turned into a raucous night of partying.

[Witness]

I was the only sober one there. I don't drink. They were pretty hammered.

[Narrator]

The party wrapped up around 3am Troy wanted to leave.

[Witness]

He had a lot of stuff to do and he was going to stay at his friend's property about a mile or so away from Mark Bauer's property. And Mark Bauer told me to grab his keys so he doesn't drive drunk.

[Narrator]

Troy relented and agreed to stay the night.

[Hunter]

He slept in his Suburban. The next morning, I guess about 8 o' clock maybe, he got up, I.

[Witness]

Gave him his keys back, he left. And then, I want to say, about an hour after he left, I decided to go see if he made it to his camp. Okay. I got up to his property. That's when I kind of crested the hill and I saw the Suburban.

[Narrator]

According to Tommy, Troy was outside his vehicle looking at something on the.

[Witness]

As I got closer on the atv, I could tell that it was a body. And I saw him right outside of his vehicle looking down. The first thing that came in my mind was being so close to the border. You know, there was cartel. So I kind of panicked and told Troy, jump on the back of my atv. I said it about two or three times and he wasn't moving. So I made the decision to get out of there as quick as possible. I went back to our camp, Mark Bauer's property, and told him that I found a dead body.

[Hunter]

I called it into the sheriff's department and Troy came in his Suburban. After that, back to camp.

[Narrator]

When investigators Speak with Troy. They ask if he knows anyone by the name of Inez.

[Expert]

Mr. Ryder said that he did not know Inez. He had just been out shooting and just happened to see this body out in the desert.

[Narrator]

But it's what Troy says next that strikes detectives as odd.

[Investigator]

He kept saying that he did not kill her, which I don't think anybody necessarily asked him that.

[Narrator]

After Troy's interview, Tommy pulls one of the investigators aside.

[Witness]

I explained to him that I was listening to the comments that Troy was saying to the sheriff. Everything that he was saying was just a little bit off. Talking about how she was laying. He just was not answering the questions correctly.

[Law Enforcement]

He was probably the most nervous of the group to the point where at some point he had to go and get some beer to calm his nerves.

[Witness]

After the interviews, we sat around there kind of still in shock of what was going on. There was a lot of what ifs. I know that I slept with my handgun under my pillow that night.

[Narrator]

Coming up, disturbing details from the autopsy.

[Expert]

The picture's starting to form how this was a planned execution.

[Narrator]

A grieving sister shares a concern.

[Sister of Inez]

He showed up at my sister's and he said, I just wanted to see you.

[Narrator]

Texas authorities are investigating the shooting death of a woman Suspected to be 27 year old Inez Santa Cruz.

[Expert]

They did interview everybody at the scene and they all denied ever meeting Inez.

[Narrator]

After the witness interviews, investigators get word that the autopsy confirmed the ID as Inez.

[Expert]

The cause of death was two gunshot wounds to the back of the head. It suggests that she was shot in cold blood while she was facing away from the shooter.

[Narrator]

The toxicology report reveals another clue.

[Expert]

And Inez's system was benzodiazepam. Taken properly, in low doses, it's an anti anxiety medication. But in very high doses, it puts somebody to sleep and a very, very hard sleep to the point of being unconscious.

[Narrator]

With Inez positively ID'd as the victim, Texas investigators must now notify her family in Arizona.

[Sister of Inez]

About six something in the morning, I got a knock on the door and it's an officer. And his words were, did Ines Santa Cruz live here? And I said, she does. And then he gives me the news, you know, we found your sister in a rural area. And I'm like, what do you mean? I'm like, what happened? Where's Rosa? And he looks at me and he takes out his notepad and he's like, what do you mean?

[Narrator]

Erica says she thought Inez was with her childhood friend Rosa Medina.

[Sister of Inez]

I told him Inez is out there because she had an event to attend with Rosa.

[Expert]

Inez's sister said that she had driven Inez to the airport on Saturday, September 1st of 2012.

[Narrator]

Erica says she didn't hear from her again, but had planned to pick Inez up from the airport in a couple of days.

[Sister of Inez]

My sister, you know, was found dead, and I'm like, was there a shooting? Like, what happened? What is going on?

[Narrator]

Inez Santa Cruz was born on February 13, 1985, in Nogales, Arizona.

[Family Member]

Inez and her sister were tapes in a pod. They thought they were twins. I had them very close together.

[Sister of Inez]

I am the oldest. She was the middle child and three, four years older than my brother.

[Family Member]

Ines was a natural athlete. Whatever they put her to play, she would play, and she would play it good.

[Narrator]

In high school, Inez excelled at basketball and bonded with her teammates, especially Rosa Medina.

[Family Member]

Rosa, I met her in high school. I really loved her. She was a nice little girl, respected us very much.

[Narrator]

When Inez's teammate Rosa had issues at home, the Santa Cruz family welcomed her into theirs with open arms.

[Sister of Inez]

She was just part of the group that hung out with my sister, and she lived with us for a while.

[Narrator]

Eventually, the friendship between Inez and Rosa blossomed into romance.

[Family Member]

It was during high school that Rosa fell in love with Ines. I would bluntly say, rosa, do you like Ines? And she said, of course I like her. I love her.

[Narrator]

But by the end of high school, the relationship had shifted back to friendship.

[Sister of Inez]

They tried it out, and it just didn't work out. But my sister was one of those who, you know, I'm always here for you if you, you know, ever need anything.

[Narrator]

By the fall of 2012, Inez was looking to the next chapter. Nursing school.

[Family Member]

That was her plan. We were gonna go together. I was gonna try and finish my rn, and then she was gonna do her anesthesiology.

[Narrator]

With her eyes on a career, Inez joined the Navy.

[Family Member]

Ines was stationed all over the place. She'd get these awards, and I found them, and I go, and why didn't you tell me? You know, she never bragged about anything.

[Sister of Inez]

After she got out of the Navy, my sister got an amazing job at umc. She was a surgical tech there. So she was super excited.

[Narrator]

But all of that changes on September 2, 2012, when Inez is found dead in a remote corner of Edwards County, Texas.

[Law Enforcement]

We found out that she was supposedly flying into San Antonio on the 1st of September to visit her friend Rosa Medina.

[Narrator]

Born in Mexico in 1987, Rosa moved to the US before starting grade school. Unlike Inez, Rosa's home life was anything but stable.

[Forensic Analyst]

Her mother got pregnant at a young age, and she raised her in Arizona. She was kind of a handful growing up.

[Sister of Inez]

She said she had nowhere to go, so she stayed with us for a good while.

[Narrator]

Following graduation in 2003, Rosa moved to Texas for a fresh start with family.

[Family Member]

She just said she didn't like her mom. She only liked her grandma. So she had to go back to Texas to where she was living with a grandma.

[Narrator]

Though their romance didn't pan out, Rosa and Inez stayed in touch over the years in Texas.

[Expert]

Eventually, Rosa Medina had children. But even when Rosa was in other relationships, she didn't want Inez to be with other people.

[Sister of Inez]

I think Rosa always wanted something more. But the person my sister is, it wasn't like, oh, my God, you like me? We gotta cut off this relationship. It was no, like, we, you know, we can be friends.

[Family Member]

Rosa was living a normal life, Posting pictures on Facebook of her and daughters, and she was doing photography. That was her job.

[Narrator]

In late August 2012, Rosa told Inez that she had booked a job photographing a wedding.

[Investigator]

Inez said that she would come babysit the children while Rosa shot the wedding.

[Narrator]

But on September 2, the weekend of the event, Inez's body was found in a remote area of Edwards County, Texas.

[Sister of Inez]

At that point, I just thought, did she suffer? Like, what happened? Where's Rosa? Maybe there was an accident or something. Like, I didn't. My mind was just going crazy.

[Narrator]

Rosa's safety isn't the only thing called into question. Investigators also wonder how Inez ended up in Edwards county, four hours away from Midland.

[Law Enforcement]

It was like someone just dropped her out of the sky and she landed, which kind of just didn't make sense.

[Narrator]

When asked who might have been at odds with Inez, Erica says there's only one person who comes to mind. Marty Chavez.

[Investigator]

Marty Chavez was in the Navy as well, and he was sweet on Inez.

[Narrator]

The two became close while they were stationed at the same naval base.

[Sister of Inez]

I don't know if they actually dated or if they tried something, but Marty was in love with my sister. I don't know exactly what she felt or what he would tell her. There was a couple of times he showed up. My sister's like, what are you doing here? Like, I told you, I was busy this weekend. I. He said, I just wanted to see you. And she's like, yeah. But I said, no.

[Narrator]

Coming up. A romantic entanglement gets complicated.

[Hunter]

Okay, I'm thinking love triangle. Something going on No, I don't.

[Narrator]

And chilling footage surfaces of Inez's final hours.

[Investigator]

It took some convincing to get her to agree to go with him. She could tell that something wasn't right.

[Expert]

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[Hunter]

I'm starting to question if left's parting.

[Narrator]

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[Hunter]

Stakes are higher than they've ever been.

[Family Member]

We're at this different place in our lives.

[Hunter]

You think you're the big boy now?

[Narrator]

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[Hunter]

Ain't nothing good could come out of this mess.

[Expert]

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[Narrator]

After finding Inez Santa Cruz shot to death in a remote Texas hunting camp, investigators are trying to confirm Rosa Medina's safety while looking into a new lead gleaned from Inez's family.

[Law Enforcement]

There was a man that was interested in Enes romantically. We identified him as Marty, but he was going to be a person we were going to have to talk to.

[Narrator]

Investigators locate Marty's superiors in the military.

[Law Enforcement]

He was nowhere, even in the state of Texas during the time of the murder. So we quickly eliminated him.

[Narrator]

Next, Texas Ranger Roger Dixon focuses on finding Inez's friend Rosa.

[Law Enforcement]

The family gave us the information to contact Rosa. I called Rosa and she answered. I started discussing Ines with her. I told her about the murder and I basically asked her, you know, what she knew about it. She was in tears.

[Expert]

She said that there had been talk of Inez coming to visit Rosa over Labor Day weekend, but that Inez had lost her debit card and couldn't get the money to pay for a plane ticket. Rosa said Inez had told her, hey, I'm not going to be able to come.

[Forensic Analyst]

A subpoena was issued to Southwest to find out that she was all night flight.

[Narrator]

Investigators ask Rosa to meet them at the Del Rio DPS office for an in person interview.

[Hunter]

Now, when did she. She told you she wasn't going to.

[Law Enforcement]

Be able to come by Thursday, right?

[Hunter]

Yeah, Thursday. That's when she texted me that she wasn't going to be able to come up.

[Narrator]

When asked for her whereabouts during the time of Inez's murder, Rosa doesn't hesitate.

[Expert]

Rosa had been at a concert in San Antonio at the time. Rosa also provided photographs to law enforcement showing her and her kids at this concert.

[Narrator]

Investigators ask Rosa if she knows any of the hunters who found Inez's body. To their surprise, she says yes, she knows Troi Ryder. In fact, they met and just started dating about the three months earlier.

[Expert]

She said that she had a romantic relationship with Mr. Ryder, that she met Mr. Ryder every Saturday for lunch at the mall. Would he be jealous of you?

[Hunter]

No. He doesn't want to get married. He's not jealous. You sure? Really?

[Law Enforcement]

Because I have a hard time seeing.

[Hunter]

A coincidence of Ness coming down from.

[Law Enforcement]

Arizona, not knowing Troy, and Troy finding her dead at the place where he hunts.

[Hunter]

I'm thinking love triangle. Something going wrong? I don't know. Well, that, you know, I wasn't there. Okay, so that's what I'm wondering. What the heck's going on here?

[Expert]

The way that Rosa responded was, I don't know why he would have met Inez.

[Narrator]

Before she leaves, investigators ask Rosa if they can take a look at her phone.

[Expert]

You would expect to see a lot of calls and text messages between Rosa and Inez. But there were not a lot that indicated to law enforcement that Rosa had deleted some items.

[Hunter]

We downloaded your phone with your consent.

[Law Enforcement]

And once it's downloaded, I'll give it back to you.

[Narrator]

They release Rosa and circle back to Troi Ryder, the first person to discover Inez's body, who also happens to be Rosa's boyfriend.

[Law Enforcement]

I knew that if Inez flew into San Antonio, there's probably one of only two ways she could have gotten to that location. And one of those ways has a BOR patrol checkpoint. I contacted a friend of mine there and sent him the license plate. And probably within 30 minutes to an hour, I received several photographs, and it showed Ryder in his truck with a small female. I zoomed in and looked just like Ines.

[Narrator]

On September 7, investigators pay a visit to Troy's home in San Antonio. He sticks by the story he gave on the scene, denying any prior knowledge of Inez. He does, however, admit to knowing Rosa.

[Investigator]

Rosa and Troy had just recently met at the strip club. He was a client.

[Law Enforcement]

Rosa was claiming to be a photographer. I found that she was actually a dancer. At a men's gentleman's club.

[Narrator]

Investigators press on. They confront Troy with the photos from the border checkpoint.

[Hunter]

Who's in the car with me? She didn't give me her name. I didn't ask her name, nothing. I just.

[Narrator]

Troy claims the woman was a hitchhiker. Though the story is flimsy, it's not enough for an arrest. Troy is released days later. Investigators received the flight manifest from the San Antonio airport.

[Expert]

Inez. She was actually on the airplane. Law enforcement didn't review a video from San Antonio International Airport.

[Investigator]

The video showed Inez and showed Troy. Just shows that they were together prior to her being killed. That was a huge deal. It seemed like it took some convincing by Troy to get her to agree to go with him. She could tell that something wasn't right.

[Expert]

At this point, Law enforcement had the surveillance video from the airport and the border patrol checkpoint video showing Mr. Rider.

[Narrator]

Though loose ends remain, investigators now have enough for an arrest warrant. On September 13, 2012, authorities follow Troy to a restaurant in San Antonio, Texas, and sit down to try and get a confession.

[Hunter]

See her? Yes. That's a big crap you say so. Pretty fuzzy, but that's her. Who's that?

[Investigator]

See here, investigators show Troy some of the digital evidence they had, at which time he shut down on them. Lawyered up.

[Hunter]

You want an attorney? Yeah. All right, we'll wrap this up. Okay. Hey, put your hands on the wall. We got a warrant for your arrest.

[Expert]

Mr. Ryder was charged with capital murder and was facing either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[Law Enforcement]

During that time frame, Ranger Lewis was able to get a search warrant of Ryder's vehicle. In the search, he sees Troy's gun.

[Narrator]

With Troy behind bars but not talking, investigators are left with one very important and unanswered question.

[Expert]

The only connection between Inez and Troy Ryder in this tragic, senseless killing is Rosa Medina. And she continued to maintain her innocence.

[Narrator]

Almost three months pass. Then investigators get a phone call from Troy's attorney.

[Expert]

The house of cards for Mr. Ryder started to collapse. So Troy Rider was facing potentially the death penalty. Through negotiations between his attorneys and the district attorney's office, he ended up giving a full confession.

[Narrator]

Coming up, Troy reveals a wicked plot.

[Hunter]

She didn't care how she wanted her gone and out of her life.

[Narrator]

And new accusations bring new questions.

[Hunter]

She says Pinz started making threats. She was scared because she didn't want to lose her kids.

[Narrator]

Three months after investigators arrest 28 year old Troy Ryder for the murder of Inez Santa Cruz, his attorneys reach out.

[Law Enforcement]

To Prosecutors, we got a confession on him, and there was a plea agreement to keep him from getting the death penalty.

[Narrator]

On December 4, 2012, Troy sits down for an interview.

[Expert]

He very quickly implicates not only himself, but also Rosa Medina.

[Hunter]

She didn't care how she wanted her gone and out of her life.

[Expert]

Those are her words.

[Hunter]

Yes. I mean, and you. You. You're clear that she means dead.

[Investigator]

Rosa had approached Troy about killing Inez.

[Hunter]

Weeks prior to the murder. She says Inez started making threats to her, that if she didn't be with her, she was going to tell her family what she was doing, as in working at the Gentleman's Clothing. Rosa was scared because she didn't want to lose her kids, but she didn't want to be with her. The gun that you used was my.22, that rifle that we collected? Yes, ma'. Am.

[Narrator]

For Troy, there was another, more enticing reason to help Rosa.

[Hunter]

Rosa promised him a life. I mean, a wife, kids, prefab family, really.

[Narrator]

According to Troy, the day before the murder, he met Rosa at the mall food court for their weekly lunchtime.

[Hunter]

She then handed me. It was like a. A blue package.

[Narrator]

Rosa told him the package contained sleeping pills.

[Expert]

Rosa had another client who gave Rosa some drugs. It was benzos.

[Hunter]

Talking about pills.

[Narrator]

I mean, is that the conversation?

[Hunter]

Walmart would kill her by doing this. She had just said she didn't care how, just did not want her recovering in any hospital room.

[Narrator]

She told Troy that Inez would be arriving on a flight to San Antonio later that day. And together, they came up with a plan.

[Expert]

The plan was for Troy to pick Inez up at the airport. Rosa instructed Troy to crush these pills up and to put them in iced tea. Rosa knew that Inez liked to drink iced tea.

[Hunter]

I went over to the airport. How I knew what the. What she would look like was. She had shown me a picture. I recognized her come off. I walked over. I met her. I told her. I asked her, what was your name? Annette. She says, yes. I told her, you're supposed to come over to the land with us. Rosa's over there taking pictures, and she says, okay. She got in the truck, and I says, there's a nice tea for you.

[Narrator]

Trusting that Troy was Rosa's assistant, Inez accepted the ride and the tea.

[Hunter]

She started dozing in and out. And so we drove for a while, hoping that the pills would take effect.

[Law Enforcement]

She passed out, fell asleep. But when they got to the campsite, she was awake. Groggy, but still awake.

[Narrator]

Troy told her that Rosa had stepped out for Supplies and would join her later. He then left Inez alone, hoping that she would fall asleep and never wake up.

[Expert]

He spends the night drinking, riding four wheelers. And the next morning, Troy goes back.

[Law Enforcement]

He came back to the trailer thinking he would find, you know, Ines unconscious or dead, overdosed with the drugs. It found her quite alive.

[Expert]

Her cell phone died because there was no electricity and she was livid.

[Narrator]

In order to explain what happened next, investigators take Troy back to the crime scene.

[Hunter]

Troy, explain what happened right here at the crime scene, if you would. I told her that I was going to give her my phone to call Rosa because she said her phone was dead. No juice. We drove up. I got out of the driver's seat.

[Law Enforcement]

So Ryder told her, you have to stand on that rock and point that way and you can get signal.

[Hunter]

I hand her my phone. She walked up. I then grabbed the rifle with her back to me, and that's when I fired the first shot. She felt she was gurgling. I went back, I loaded one more round and was her down on the ground and shot her again in the back of the head.

[Law Enforcement]

They wanted to make it look like the cartel had got her and ripped her and killed her. So he took her clothes off. He also put a trash bag over Ines's head.

[Narrator]

His efforts were interrupted when hunter Tommy Darity stumbled upon him. Troy's confession fills in the blanks, but it isn't enough to arrest Rosa.

[Expert]

Texas law is very clear in that the statement of a co actor in and of itself is not sufficient to secure a conviction.

[Narrator]

Seven months after Inez's body is found, Troy is convicted of first degree murder.

[Expert]

The negotiated plea agreement was for 75 years. Mr. Ryder will not be eligible for parole until he has served 30 years of that sentence.

[Narrator]

For Inez's family, Troy's sentence is bittersweet.

[Family Member]

I got pretty sick because it wouldn't arrest her. I was having faint spells. I couldn't live thinking that this woman was living a normal life after what she had done.

[Narrator]

But whether or not Rosa will go to jail isn't all Inez's loved ones struggle with. They want to know why.

[Sister of Inez]

She mentioned to Troy that my sister was going to to blackmail her, you know, saying she was a stripper, whatnot. But in all honesty, my sister could care less.

[Narrator]

Was the real motive unrequited love?

[Expert]

Rosa lived in San Antonio and wanted Inez to move to San Antonio to be with her. But Inez ended up finding a good job as a scrub nurse in Tucson, Arizona, where she lived, where her mother lived and eventually made the decision not to move to San Antonio.

[Family Member]

I think that's what triggered all this, is that Juan Ines didn't move. I think it made her mad.

[Narrator]

As years pass, Rosa goes on with her life.

[Forensic Analyst]

She moved on. She got a new job. She was working as a manager at Home Depot. She had a live in partner.

[Narrator]

And hard proof of Rosa's involvement in Inez's murder continues to elude investigators. But in June 2019, everything changes when investigators are able to look at old evidence through a new lens.

[Expert]

The technology to really take a deep dive into these phones had advanced, and investigators started looking at it some more.

[Forensic Analyst]

The last analysis of the device was detrimental to the case. And so it's actually kind of a really cool thing that technology can be your best friend or your worst enemy at the end of the day.

[Narrator]

Coming up, will that day finally come?

[Family Member]

I thought I was here to help, and it doesn't seem that way.

[Narrator]

New technology cracks the case.

[Investigator]

It proved that Rosa did know Inez was coming to Texas.

[Narrator]

Seven years after the 2012 murder of Inez, Santa Cruz trigger man Troy Ryder is behind bars. But the alleged mastermind behind the crime, Rosa Medina, remains at large. But new life is brought back to the investigation when old evidence is examined in a new way.

[Forensic Analyst]

They brought me Rosa's iPhone, data that had been given to the Texas Rangers when they interviewed her name. And I was able to rebuild the web pages, deleted text messages to be able to look at them as you would have seen them in their native format.

[Narrator]

The analysis yields what investigators have been waiting for.

[Expert]

A week before the killings, Rosa was doing searches for date rape, drug, slipping a mickey, how to make untraceable calls.

[Forensic Analyst]

The final thing that we found was a text that said, I'm boarding my flight or more. I'll see you soon.

[Investigator]

It had been deleted, but with the new technology, it was extracted.

[Forensic Analyst]

That was exceptionally important when it came to showing that Rosa knew Inez was coming in.

[Expert]

By June of 2020, the case against Rosa Medina had gotten much, much stronger.

[Law Enforcement]

Within a month after we got the last forensic stuff, we went to the restroom.

[Narrator]

On June 29, 2020, authorities locate Rosa at her home in San Antonio.

[Investigator]

When we first made contact with Rosa, we tried to explain to her we were trying to finish up the case and close it out. She was still acting very nice at the station.

[Narrator]

Her demeanor changes.

[Family Member]

My father was here to help, and it doesn't seem that way. You've opened up a very, very deep and painful moment.

[Forensic Analyst]

She started to get more upset she was not willing to talk with any of us after that.

[Hunter]

I know. Evidence.

[Sister of Inez]

Because I didn't do anything.

[Hunter]

I'm sorry, Rosa. I can't talk to you. You've ended the interview.

[Narrator]

Investigators reveal they have a warrant.

[Hunter]

Hey, Rosa. You under arrest? The word no.

[Sister of Inez]

You have this all wrong.

[Hunter]

You have this all wrong.

[Sister of Inez]

Why is this happening?

[Narrator]

Prosecutors are confident in their case, but there are other factors they must consider.

[Expert]

I believe fully that Ms. Medina would have been convicted. But we also have to weigh the wants and the wishes of the victim's family.

[Family Member]

I don't want to go through court. I don't want to hear all this stuff. It's not going to bring my daughter back.

[Narrator]

Authorities honor the family's wishes and approach Rosa with a plea bargain.

[Expert]

She agreed and entered into a negotiated plea bargain for manslaughter.

[Law Enforcement]

I was hoping that during that process she would, you know, give a confession in return for the leniency. But she never did.

[Narrator]

In April 2022, Rosa pleads guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter and receives an 18 year sentence.

[Investigator]

I wished that she could have been sentenced longer than what she got. But we finally got her arrested and got her convict.

[Narrator]

While it is comforting that Rosa is finally behind bars, there is little that can ease the pain of not understanding why.

[Family Member]

I wrote her a letter, but she's never responded. That's all I say is why, why? And I guess I'll go to my grave saying why. I see the world very temporary, very limited. I live in the moment like my daughter taught me. I'm very proud of the person she was.

[Narrator]

Troy Ryder is currently housed at Memorial Unit Prison. He will be eligible for parole in 2042. Rosa Medina is scheduled to be released in 2038. She will be 51 years old. Oh, what you eating?

[Hunter]

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[Hunter]

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[Narrator]

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[Forensic Analyst]

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[Hunter]

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[Advertiser]

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[Hunter]

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[Narrator]

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[Hunter]

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[Witness]

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[Advertiser]

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