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2 men, 1 woman charged in connection to death of missing juvenile, burning human remains, Liberty County officials say

Cade Cates (L), 23, and Randy Norlan Salinas (R), 26, are charged with murder in connection with the death of a missing juvenile. (LCSO)

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas – Authorities in Liberty County have arrested and charged two men and a woman in connection with the death of an unidentified juvenile, who had been reported missing about a week prior.

Randy Norlan Salinas, 26, of Channelview, and Cade Cates, 23, of north Liberty County, are accused of being involved in the juvenile’s death, according to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.

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Later Thursday evening, officials said a third person, Kathryn Alexander, who is the girlfriend of Cates, was also arrested and charged with murder. The follow-up investigation uncovered that Alexander was present at the time of the murder and helped with the disposal of the body. She was booked at the Liberty County Jail.

Deputies said they received a call from one of the victim’s family members saying they believed the victim had been killed and was now buried in Liberty County near Cates’ home, who is believed to be the victim’s half-brother.

After acquiring a search warrant, officials with the LCSO and the Texas Rangers said they began searching the property on Tuesday, where they found a burn pile that had human remains. Authorities said they found a “partially burned and decomposed body of a male buried among the burn pile debris.”

Cates had initially been arrested on a robbery warrant, but after the discovery, authorities said there was enough evidence to charge both him and Salinas with murder.

Deputies said they are still working to identify the remains and are awaiting DNA and autopsy results.


About the Author
Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli headshot

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli has been a digital news editor at KPRC 2 since 2018. She is a published poet and has background in creative writing and journalism. Daniela has covered events like Hurricane Harvey and the Astros World Series win. In her spare time, Daniela is an avid reader and loves to spend time with her two miniature dachshunds.

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