Manhunt For Suspect In College Student's Murder

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This is a driver's license picture of Reyes.

The strange events leading to University of North Texas student Melanie Goodwin's death began shortly before 2 a.m on September 25, 2007.  Surveillance cameras at a Denton, Texas convenience store showed Melanie her walk into the store and strike up a conversation with a stocky Hispanic man.

It appears as though the man convinces Melanie to give him a ride.  Two hours later, the next set of surveillance images showed a much more insidious event. According to police, cameras mounted outside a Carrollton, Texas business showed a man dragging Melanie's body out of her car and setting it on fire. 

By 11a.m., someone found her dead body in a grassy area in Carrollton.

Cops Identify Suspect

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Carrollton police arrested Donovan Young in connection with this case, but at this point, he is only charged with tampering with evidence.

It didn't take long for cops to identify the man in the surveillance tape. They believe Ernesto Reyes, a 20-year-old resident alien, is their suspect. Unfortunately, they have no idea where he is.  But the investigation has yielded some results.

By the evening of September 27, 2007, Carrollton Police arrested 19-year-old Donovan R. Young, charging him with tampering with evidence related to this case. They do not know what his entire role in this case is but they did say he is an acquaintance of Reyes'. 

The United States Marshals Service has picked up the search for Reyes. Stay with AMW.com as this case develops.

Marshals Wait For Paperwork, Then Nail Suspect

Once Ernesto Reyes became a fugitive, the Marshals jumped on the case. Immediately, they received information that the fugitive had fled south of the border to Mexico. Marshals knew they were working against more than just the fugitive.

Once a fugitive is in Mexico, not only are the manhunters forced to search for the suspect, but they also must wade through the maze of paperwork needed to prove to the Mexican government that this fugitive is in their midst.

It took a few weeks but the Marshals finally received the provisional arrest warrant for Reyes. And on October 9, 2007, AFI and the U.S. Marshals Service trekked three hours northwest of Mexico City to Celaya, Mexico.  And that's where they found Ernesto Reyes. He was arrested without incident. But the story isn't even close to done.

As cumbersome as the paperwork is to get Reyes arrested, the documents needed to get him back on U.S. soil are just as complicated. Don't expect Reyes back in the states anytime soon. But the Goodwin's family is one step closer to justice.