The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a body found Tuesday during a search in northwest Bexar County as Camila Mendoza Olmos, according to a statement released by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the head and ruled the manner of death a suicide, the sheriff’s office said.
During a press conference Tuesday, Sheriff Javier Salazar said investigators had been searching for a firearm that was unaccounted for from the family’s residence and that a firearm was recovered near the body. Authorities have not confirmed whether it is the same weapon.
Mendoza Olmos, 19, had been missing since the morning of Christmas Eve after leaving her home in northwest Bexar County. Her disappearance prompted a multi-day search involving local, federal and volunteer search-and-rescue teams.
The body was found during a renewed ground search Monday afternoon in a field near her home. Sheriff Javier Salazar previously said the area had been searched earlier in the investigation but was revisited due to tall grass and visibility concerns.
In a statement shared publicly, Camila’s aunt, Nancy Olmos, thanked the community for its support and asked for privacy for the family.
“Our beloved Camila Mendoza Olmos is now with the Good Lord,” the statement read. “We kindly ask that you please respect our pain and, most importantly, keep my cousin Rosario — Camila’s mom — and my nephew Carlos — Camila’s brother — in your prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available by calling or texting 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
