Austin, Texas, Apr 4, 2009 / 07:06 am
A Diocese of Austin priest who disappeared while preparing a retirement home in the border town of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico remains missing, with police saying there is not enough evidence to determine if a crime was committed.
The 69-year-old Fr. Jesse Euresti, a priest at Cristo Rey Catholic Church in east Austin, was last heard from on early Tuesday morning when he called his sister to tell her he was close to the border. Later on Tuesday, the priest’s Nuevo Laredo neighbors called police after finding the priest’s garage door wide open.
Mexican police discovered blood and a knife inside of the home and feared foul play was involved. Authorities have asked the priest’s sister to provide a DNA sample so they can confirm if blood found inside the home belongs to Fr. Euresti.
Police are also searching for a man who lived at the house, Martin Torres. Torres was initially described as an assistant but was referred to as a caretaker in later reports.