Murder Investigation Revealed – Messenger Exclusive – How County Commissioner Helped Find Remains
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – New details have begun to emerge in the homicide investigation into the murder of missing 16-year-old Michael Martin Ortiz of Crockett. In exclusive reporting by The Messenger, the discovery of the remains and ensuing investigation have begun to shed light on this unusual and tragic case.
The homicide unfolded rapidly in early May after Ortiz was reported missing. The ensuing investigation, involving local, state, and correctional law enforcement agencies, has uncovered what appears to be a fatal act of internal conflict among acquaintances.
The case began on Friday, May 2, when the Crockett Police Department received a missing person report concerning Michael Ortiz, a 16-year-old male with known ties to individuals previously under investigation. By 10:30 that night, Houston County Commissioner Gene Stokes contacted authorities with news which changed the nature of the investigation.
“They had located the body of a deceased individual on County Road 4020,” Benge said. “Based on speculation from the family, we believed it to be Ortiz.”
Contacted by The Messenger, Stokes confirmed how he became involved with the incident, after that day’s heavy rains led to a long day of checking roads for damage. Stokes was on his way home after 10 p.m. when he spotted people near a stopped car, using their phones as flashlights.
Thinking they may be having some sort of car troubles, Stokes pulled over to offer assistance.
The man who approached him wasn’t stranded — he was searching for his son.
“He told me they thought he’d been beaten and left somewhere on the side of the road,” Stokes said. “They believed it might have happened near an abandoned church and said they’d traced his phone to somewhere between there and the creek crossing.”
Moved by the father’s desperation, Stokes told the family to wait while he drove home to retrieve a spotlight.
“I could see the desperation in his eyes — just like any of us would have if it were our child,” Stokes said.
Stokes returned shortly after with a spotlight and joined the family in searching along the culvert by the creek. That’s when he saw something partially submerged.
“There was a little backflow area where the water backed up, and I could see something there,” Stokes said quietly. “I walked down to the edge of the water, and that’s when I saw the body. There was part of a white T-shirt sticking out.”
The family was nearby when the discovery was made. Stokes, affected while recounting the moment, said, “You just hate that. You just really hate that.”
He quickly contacted dispatch and asked for officers to be sent to the scene.
Looking back, Stokes believes fate put him there that night.
“I’m a firm believer there’s a reason for everything,” he said. “Maybe someone else would’ve found him, but maybe not that night — not without a light or a four-wheel-drive. I’m just glad we could bring them some closure. Not knowing… that would be worse.”
Despite the trauma of the experience, Stokes was glad he came across the family that night.
“I just hope someone would do the same for me,” he said. “If I was walking the side of the road, looking for one of my own.”
Law enforcement from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, Crockett PD, and the Texas Rangers converged on the grim scene.
“We can confirm that it was blunt force trauma,” Benge said. “The medical examiner declared it as a homicide.”
Investigators believe the initial attack occurred about half a mile from where the body was discovered — near a small country church. Benge confirmed this site was “likely the initial crime scene where the beating may have taken place.”
Law enforcement agencies continued working into the early morning hours of Saturday, May 3, processing the scene and interviewing witnesses.
“We worked until 4 a.m. that morning,” Benge said. “Then Crockett PD investigators got started again around 9 a.m. and interviewed more individuals. We did the same Sunday.”
By Monday, May 5, investigators located a vehicle believed to be linked to one of the suspects and seized it for evidence. Over the next two days, momentum built.
“Tuesday, May 6, we really hit the ground running,” said Benge. “We seized two more vehicles related to suspects… and arrested two adult males and two juvenile males for the murder of Michael Ortiz.”
The adult suspects have been identified as 20-year-old Emmanuel Mata and 18-year-old Edgar Duarte Hernandez, as reported in The Messenger. Due to legal restrictions, the names of the juveniles have not been disclosed.
“They’re being housed off-site,” Benge explained. “We are not a juvenile detention facility.”
The investigation has also benefitted from high-tech and unconventional tools. On Thursday, May 8, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Inspector General K9 team brought in an electronic-sniffing dog — one of the few in the state.
“The dog was able to locate what we believe to be the victim’s missing cell phone,” Benge said.
Authorities continue to process the recovered vehicles and other forensic evidence, much of which is being sent to DPS crime labs. The cooperation between agencies has been critical, said Benge.
“Crockett PD, the Texas Rangers, TDCJ — they’ve all helped tremendously.”
Despite the four arrests, Sheriff Benge confirmed the investigation remains active.
“There are others involved,” he said. “We are actively looking to interview them. Once we confirm their involvement, we’ll release names.”
While Benge declined to release additional details about possible suspects, he acknowledged there are “assets in place” working on the ground to locate them.
“We’re going to pursue this to the end to make sure we cover all our bases,” he said.
Perhaps most striking in the early narrative is the role played by Ortiz’s family, who were searching for him even before law enforcement formally considered him missing. The Sheriff credits their persistence.
“From what I understand, the family had not seen him since Tuesday,” Benge said. “They came in Friday and said, ‘We’ve not heard from him, but we’re hearing stuff in the community.’”
Their information, Benge explained, likely came through friends.
As for motive, Benge was cautious but offered a theory.
“There may have been some discontent between the group,” he said. “Some accusations that they were stealing from each other. That’s what we believe may have led to this.”
Importantly, Benge emphasized no gang-related activity is suspected in Ortiz’s death.
“This wasn’t a gang killing,” he said. “We have nothing to lead us to believe that.”
The intense, coordinated efforts to find who was responsible for the young man’s murder say a lot about how law enforcement comes together to follow leads and track down information.
“In four days, we had four people in jail,” Benge noted. “We got very fortunate. The public helped a lot as well.”
Benge concluded with a note of appreciation for the community and his partners.
“It’s been a collaborative effort,” he said. “We’re still diligently working toward drawing this to a close… and when we’ve got everyone in custody who needs to be, we’ll release those names and finish the job.”
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
