A family is looking for answers after a 69-year-old woman, Josefina Montesdeoca, was found dead in a manhole behind their home in Harris County, Texas.
Josefina was reported missing on September 13. Her daughter, Stephanie Lopez, said they searched for her around FM-1960 and Kuykendahl but couldn’t find her. Stephanie shared her mother’s phone location, but it seemed to be off, so they contacted the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to report her missing.
A deputy asked a few questions, gave them a case number, and left. When the family didn’t hear back the next day, they called the missing persons unit, only to find out it was closed on weekends. A search and rescue group wouldn’t help because they needed the sheriff’s approval.
Luckily, friends from church helped search on Sunday and quickly found Josefina. Stephanie recalled the moment, saying, “They found her! I thought she was sitting up, not in that hole.” She believes her mother was praying at the bottom of the manhole, hoping to be found.
The uncovered manhole was on the property of an apartment complex behind their home. There is a lot of overgrown land between the complex and their home. Stephanie’s husband said the man who found her had to move grass to see her body.
They are still unsure why Josefina was in that area, as she usually didn’t go there. Since her death, “do not enter” and “private property” signs have been put up, and the manhole has been covered.
During their search, the family also found an unfinished pool and rescued a stranded dog, naming it Joseph after Josefina, who loved dogs.
ABC13 is trying to find out who is responsible for the manhole’s maintenance. The medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of Josefina’s death, and the family has been told it could take months for answers.