Charges filed in two cold case murders from 1986 and 2007

Miya Shay Image
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Charges filed in cold case murders
Investigators say they've found the killers in two unrelated cases from years ago

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Harris County Sheriff's Office announced a breakthrough in two unrelated cold case murders Thursday morning.

William Porter, 51, has been charged with the 1986 murder of Gerald Oncale, Jr. Oncale was shot inside Porter's home, and at that time, Porter told authorities Oncale was a burglar that he shot in self defense.

When the case was reopened earlier this year, authorities say they was learned that Gerald Oncale owed William Porter money. Porter allegedly confronted Oncale and shot him, then staged the murder to appear as a burglary.

In the second unrelated case, Denis Daniel Ordenana is charged with capital murder in the 2007 death of Amado Navarro Trejo. Trejo, a father of three, was shot to death in his home in north Harris County during a home invasion.

Both cases were solved by the Harris County Sheriff's Office cold case squad. In the case of the 1986 murder, suspect Porter is currently incarcerated in Missouri on separate charges. In the 2007 case relating to the suspect Ordenana, investigators believe he is currently in Nicaragua or possibly another country in South America.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office says it is working with Missouri authorities to make sure Porter will face justice in Texas. As for the other suspect, they are asking for the public's help. They are hoping that he might have returned to Texas, and that family or friends could alert authorities.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Denis Daniel Ordenana should call the HCSO's Cold Case Unit at 713-967-5911 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.