PORT ISABEL – Cameron County authorities arrested a suspect in the case of a body found off South Padre Island over the weekend.  

The body of 53-year-old Marta Beatriz Adams from El Salvador was found in the bay area Sunday afternoon.

The woman’s son-in-law, 59-year-old Monte Eric Jordan, was charged with murder Tuesday. He was denied bond by a judge.

Police searched a mobile home in McAllen on Monday where Jordan was said to reside. Police said they found evidence.

They said Jordan’s vehicle was also searched. They found zip ties and rope similar to what was used in the crime.

Police added Jordan was arrested for unauthorized use of Adams’ car on Saturday. The car was reported stolen more than a week ago.

Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio said it’s unclear if Adams was dead or alive when she was thrown into the water. He said her body had been in the water about three to five days.

Adams was found with her hands and feet bound together with zip ties and had a piece of tape over her mouth. Her body was tied to a rope with two 25-pound metal weights in an attempt to keep her underwater, according to the sheriff.  

Family members reported Adams as missing with McAllen police last week. She was identified with the help of the fingerprint database kept by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.  

Investigators are looking into how Jordan allegedly got the victim to the Laguna Madre.

“Some people feel that if they dump somebody there that they won’t be able to be recovered because of the undertide or perhaps sharks or other animals, you know, go ahead and will dismantle, dismember the person. But it doesn’t work like that. There’s no perfect crime. Sooner or later, something comes up. Sooner or later, there’s some information. Sooner or later, someone knows something about it,” Lucio said.

Justice of the Peace Benny Ochoa confirmed the woman is originally from El Salvador. She was identified through fingerprints. They were sent to a database kept by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

Authorities are still waiting for the preliminary autopsy to figure out how Adams died and trying to uncover a motive.

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