Editor’s note: This video is from previous coverage of this case.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Kamery Wooldridge, 32, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of tampering with a corpse, in connection with the 2024 death of Cristian Rangel, 24, according to Wooldridge’s attorney Benjamin Gergen.
Wooldridge was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison, with 153 days of jail time credited against that sentence.
Allocution, where a victim’s loved ones take the stand to address a defendant, happened ahead of sentencing Tuesday morning at the Travis County Courthouse.
Rangel went missing on the day of the historic 2024 eclipse. His body was found in the greenbelt near a southeast Austin neighborhood 11 days after he was last seen at a south Austin Walmart, police said.
Police said the state in which police found Rangel’s body made it difficult to gather forensic evidence that could more clearly lead investigators to a cause of death or potential suspect, which “made it challenging to get forensic testing done.”
In a statement Tuesday, APD said the investigation into the circumstances of “Rangel’s death remains open and active.”
“Austin Police continues to extend our support to the family and loved ones of Cristian Rangel as they navigate this difficult time. While we recognize the recent plea in connection with this case, the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Cristian Rangel’s death remains open and active. Our detectives remain committed to pursuing justice and uncovering the full truth on behalf of Cristian and his family,” APD said.
In September, Rangel’s family offered $9,000 in reward money to help bring about murder charges in the case.
“When a piece of you is missing, it’s hard to describe the emptiness that you feel,” said Misty Moon, Rangel’s mother, in February. “I feel angry that this person chose to take the life of my son and dispose of his body like he was nothing.”
Moon said her son “was loved by many. He struggled with some things, so he was very empathetic.”
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