Authorities in Texas have uncovered human remains believed to be linked to missing 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez more than three years after he disappeared.
The discovery was made at the boy's former home on the 3700 block of Wisteria Drive in Everman, which his family had been renting when he was last seen in October 2022.
Days later, on March 22, 2023, officials said Rodriguez-Singh, her husband, and her six other children boarded a flight to India, though investigators later determined Noel did not accompany them. The following month, authorities announced the case was being treated as a death investigation.
"Based on the totality of the circumstances, along with the evidence available to use at this time, it has led to a very unfortunate, unimaginable, and devastating conclusion that Noel is likely deceased," former Everman Police Chief Craig Spencer said at the time.
In October 2023, Rodriguez-Singh was charged with capital murder and a federal arrest warrant was issued after she was accused of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
She was taken into custody in India in August 2025 after being listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and returned to the United States to face charges. However, she was later found not competent to stand trial, but is expected to regain competency "in the foreseeable future," Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells shared at Thursday's briefing.
Sorrells said the recent discovery is expected to improve the prosecution's case, noting that it marked "an important step" in the pursuit of justice for Noel.
"Our focus remains on the successful prosecution of Cindy Rodriguez. We owe it to Noel. We owe it to our community to seek justice in this case, and we are determined to do just that," Sorrells said. "She will stand trial for this."
Authorities did not share what initially prompted them to excavate the yard outside the home. The area had been previously searched as part of the investigation, which remains ongoing.