APD 'deeply sorry' about DNA 'oversight' in 2019 murder case tied to suspected 'serial killer' Raul Meza

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- In a phone conversation with family members of Gloria Lofton, a woman killed in 2019, the Austin Police Department (APD) said an "error was made" regarding the communication of a DNA hit during the investigation, according to the family members who received the call.

When police arrested Raul Meza in the death of 80-year-old Pflugerville man Jesse Fraga about four years after Lofton died, investigators said Meza also implicated himself in Lofton's murder. Meza was also previously convicted in the 1982 murder of 8-year-old Kendra Page.

Meza’s arrest affidavit stated that in 2020, a DNA profile obtained from a sexual assault kit for Lofton’s matched Meza’s DNA, but police did not arrest Meza at that time, which was roughly four years before Fraga was killed.

"It's really disappointing," said Christina Fultz, one of Lofton's daughters.

The Austin Police Department has closed its internal investigation into the handling of DNA in a murder case involving Meza, a man who investigators have called a potential "serial killer."

Former Police Chief Joseph Chacon, who held the role at the time of Meza's arrest, launched the internal investigation last year to address what he called "potential investigative lapses," an APD spokesperson previously told KXAN.

Below is part of the statement Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson sent out regarding what the department now calls an "error" in the investigation.

"The Austin Police Department is deeply sorry about the oversight related to the DNA Lab Report in the Raul Meza case. We realize the impacts this has on the case itself, community and most importantly the victims and their families. As soon as the error was brought to our attention, we addressed it as quickly as we could to identify how it happened and implemented policies to avoid incidents like this from reoccurring. Since this occurrence, the Austin Police Department has added redundancies into the notification process to ensure this does not happen again."

Interim APD Chief Robin Henderson

APD said the officer responsible for the mistake will not face any disciplinary action.

"State law prohibits the Chief from formally disciplining any officers for acts that occur more than 180 days prior to the time that discipline could be issued. Due to this reason, the officer did not receive formal discipline," Henderson also said in her statement.

Fultz said she's particularly concerned about the DNA "mistake" because of how gruesome she said the crime scene appeared. Video she took at her mom's home showed blood on the floor and sheets.

"There was a lot more blood in the hallway, in the bathroom, in the room," she said. "It was really distressful, it was really bad."

She now takes constant notes about her mother's case, so she can look back on them if anything like this happens again.

"This time around, I feel like I need to take notes on every single thing I come across," she said.

Investigators originally said Meza may be linked to several area cold cases. So far, police have told us they have not made any surefire connections yet.

Meza's next court appearance is set for April 11. The investigation into the murders of Lofton and Fraga are ongoing, police said.

Gloria Lofton investigation

According to Meza's arrest affidavit for Lofton's murder, police found her dead in her home on Sara Drive in east Austin on May 9, 2019.

The final medical examiner's report ruled Lofton's cause of death "undetermined."

"It is possible that these findings might represent evidence of strangulation," according to the medical examiner's narrative quoted in the affidavit. "Although there was severe natural disease identified, the circumstances, witness accounts, and findings at autopsy are concerning for potential inflicted trauma. Findings indicative of strangulation, such as external or internal neck trauma, may not be present in all cases of strangulation."

Last week, Meza, while a person of interest in Fraga's death, called the police because he knew authorities were looking for him. During that call, he also told police "I got out in 2016... I ended up murdering a lady soon afterward... it was on Sara Drive," the affidavit reads.

After that call, police discovered Lofton's 2019 death on Sara Drive. Police moved forward with the arrest warrant following the combined factors of Meza's confession.