Christmas morning, 1980. Estella Salinas, 31, and her 14-year-old son Andrew set out from Houston’s Near Northside to spend the holiday with family. They never arrived. Their car was found abandoned on Cavalcade Street, keys still inside — and their bodies were found strangled near White Oak Bayou.
Forty-five years later, no one has ever been arrested. In 2026, Texas investigators resubmitted the case’s physical evidence for modern DNA testing.
This is the story of an unsolved Texas cold case — and the tip line that’s still open.
If you have any information about the murders of Estella and Andrew Salinas, contact Texas Crime Stoppers at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). Tips are anonymous.
Related reading
No well-reviewed book has been written about this case specifically yet. You can search current true-crime coverage of the case here: Estella & Andrew Salinas 1980 Houston cold case true crime.
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Sources
Texas Department of Public Safety Cold Case Investigation, Case #272; Texas DPS press release “Texas Rangers Seek New Tips in 45-Year-Old Christmas Double Murder in Harris Co.,” HQ 2026-016, February 12, 2026.
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