2 siblings charged in 1996 killing of aunt in South Texas

ROCKSPRINGS, TX -- A brother and sister face capital murder charges in the 1996 stabbing death of their aunt during a South Texas robbery allegedly linked to drugs.

George Torres Jr., 37, and Angelica Maria Torres, 40, were being held without bond Sunday in the Edwards County jail in Rocksprings, a town of about 1,200.

Patricia Paz, 35, of Rocksprings, was slain in February 1996 during a robbery at her home. The victim was mentally disabled and the alleged motive for the attack was to get money to buy drugs, said sheriff's Capt. Darrell Volkmann. More arrests are expected, Volkmann said.

Jail records do not list an attorney to speak for the victim's nephew and niece, who were arrested Friday at a home in Rocksprings, about 125 miles northwest of San Antonio.

Edwards County Sheriff Pamela Elliott's reopened the Paz murder case on July 7, 2014, according to KSAT-TV.

"We started beating the bushes, establishing targets and turning over stones that were never turned over before," Elliott said. "The break in the case came on July 7, 2015, exactly one year to the day when the case was reopened."

The sheriff did not release information on evidence that led to the arrests.

Investigators have said the crime scene was cleaned up, the victim was found bathed and wearing fresh clothing. Some clothes were left on a space heater, in an alleged tempt to start the place on fire, but the fire went out, authorities say.