On May 31, a mother of four, Giselle Tapia-Salazar, was discovered dead, hanging from a dock in League City, Texas. According to several accounts, the 30-year-old’s death is currently being examined as possible foul play.
According to the Galveston County Daily News, police are investigating Tapia-Salazar’s death as a probable homicide and have identified two suspects. Police told the outlets they believed the person was slain before being placed in that position, and The Daily News, quoting police, said that the scene was staged to appear to be a suicide.
On May 31, the League City Police Department verified in a Facebook post that they had received a report of a “woman [who] appeared to have been lifeless as she hung by a rope from the dock” in the afternoon.
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Tapia-Salazar was discovered near her boyfriend’s boat, where she was staying at the time of her death. James Hart, the boyfriend, told people.com: “This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”
Hart continued, “It feels like a nightmare you can’t wake up from. I had nothing to do with it, and never would have. Giselle was my favorite person in the entire world. We spent all of our time together, and I want justice for Giselle and myself.”
According to a League City Police release, when Hart learned of Tapia-Salazar’s death, he “became very distraught and would not come out of his boat.”
Christian Allen, Tapia-Salazar and Hart’s neighbor at the marina told KHOU that he discovered Tapia-Salazar’s body “partially submerged in the water,” with one of her arms in an odd position.
“Because of the position of her arm, we believe she died somewhere else,” League City Police Lieutenant Eric Cox told KHOU. “Rigor Mortis set in and then when she was moved, her arms stayed in that position.”
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According to Allen, “At first, I thought it was a mannequin and then we realized … we recognized her.”
Allen said, “I didn’t buy the whole suicide stuff. I want them caught because my children are here, and I do not want to live near a killer.”
Authorities are still waiting for an official cause of death. Nathan Paz, the victim’s brother, created a GoFundMe to assist pay for her funeral and support her four children.
“Giselle was the most charismatic person you could ever meet, sharing a smile and making a friend of everyone she came across” Paz said on the fundraising site. “Giselle always looked for the best in people, even when they didn’t deserve her kindness.”