Skip to main content
Clear icon
45º

Bodies found in San Jacinto River identified as mom, son ​

Victims identified Josephine Chavez, 75, Kerry Chavez, 53,

Two bodies found in the San Jacinto River Tuesday several hours after the discovery of an overturned, abandoned boat have been identified.

Francie Gonzales-Chavez told Channel 2 her mother, Josephine Chavez, 75, and her brother, Kerry Chavez, 53, had gone fishing on a new "folding boat" Kerry had just bought.

Francie Gonzales-Chavez said she tried calling her mother Monday night but never got an answer. A short time later she was called by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences to notify her that her mother and brother were identified through fingerprints.

It’s believed the mother and son launched the boat from Duessen Park on Lake Houston before they accidentally went over the spillway and fell 40 feet into the river below.

Investigators said there was visible damage to the boat.

Someone saw it floating upside down and called for investigators. When they arrived at the river, searchers spotted a life jacket hooked on a low-lying tree branch -- that’s where they found the 75-year-old woman. She was still partially wearing the life jacket.

The woman's son was found down the river about 30 feet out of the water on the riverbank.

“It’s been a bad ordeal for all of us,” said Samantha Roberts, who is camping along the river. “It’s pretty sad.”


About the Authors
Dawn Jorgenson headshot

Dawn Jorgenson, Graham Media Group Branded Content Managing Editor, began working with the group in April 2013. She graduated from Texas State University with a degree in electronic media.

Loading...