Marisol Hernandez: Missing from San Antonio, TX Since January 16, 2004

NOT the actual vehicle. Example of a green 1996 Ford Mustang.

Notes on the pictures:

The first image is of Marisol Hernandez. The second is an example of a green 1996 Ford Mustang, not her actual car, included to illustrate the vehicle she was driving.

Details from a government source (might be paraphrased):

Marisol was last seen at approximately 8:30 a.m. on January 16, 2004, at Avance Head Start Child Care on Acme Castroville Roads, San Antonio, after dropping off her toddler daughter. She was driving a green 1996 Ford Mustang, license plate F19SBT. Her car was later found locked and abandoned at a strip mall in the 4800 block of W. Commerce.

Last contact: January 16, 2004 (Friday), approximately 8:30 a.m.
Last location: San Antonio, Texas - Avance Head Start Child Care on Acme Castroville Roads
Age when Marisol Hernandez disappeared: 32
DOB: She would have been born between January 17th, 1971 and January 16th, 1972
Sex: Female
Height in inches: 62
Weight in pounds (lbs): 130
BMI: 23.77 - Healthy weight (calculated to help picture what Marisol might have looked like)
Ethnicity: Hispanic
Hair color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Distinctive Features: Pierced ears; red heart tattoo on upper left arm
Link to Government Source: NamUs MP4285 (right-click to open)
Websleuths discussion page: Marisol Hernandez Case (right-click to open)

Clothing Worn When Last Seen

Item	Description	Details	Source
Jeans	Dark blue Gap jeans	Worn on January 16, 2004	The Charley Project
Sweater	Black long-sleeve with white collar	Layered under another sweater	The Charley Project
Sweater	Black button-down	Worn over the long-sleeve sweater	The Charley Project
Shoes	Black closed-toe Easy Spirit	Size 6½	The Charley Project
Handbag	Black Fiesta Texas handbag	Red sides with white lettering	The Charley Project
Phone	Silver Sprint flip camera phone	Carried at the time	The Charley Project

Unraveling the Mystery: Key Insights and Updates

By: Shane Lambert
Original time of writing: March 12, 2025

Has Marisol Hernandez been found?

As of March 2025, Marisol remains missing. Her home was in the 2400 block of Rivas Street, San Antonio, but she was last seen at Avance Head Start Child Care. Her car was found locked and abandoned on January 19, 2004, three days after she vanished, at a strip mall 1-2 miles away on West Commerce Street [KSAT, Jan 19, 2004]. The San Antonio Police searched extensively, but no major leads emerged. Her family, including sister Mary Lou Castillo, emphasized her role as a mother of three.

What does the vehicle discovery suggest?

She might have been shopping, but an in-mall abduction seems unlikely due to witnesses and security. A parking lot abduction—either as she exited or returned to her Mustang—is more plausible, given her small frame, though her family responsibilities complicate this theory. Furthermore, the theory is complicated by the fact that her car was found three days after he disappearance. This raises the question as to whether it sat in the parking lot for three days or if it was moved there close to the time when it was discovered.

Unexplained Words: Marisol’s Last Statement and Theories

Marisol reportedly told her mother, “Mom, if I don’t return, it’s because someone killed me,” on the day she vanished [KSAT, Jan 16, 2004]. Verbal statements like these are hard to authenticate, leaving questions about whether she sensed imminent danger.

According to her boyfriend Justin Meece, Marisol was set to meet her ex, Mark Martinez, at the Attorney General’s office on January 16, 2004, to discuss child support, though Martinez denied a scheduled meeting [KSAT, Feb 6, 2004]. Her sister Mary Lou Castillo also noted she was meeting someone about her kids but never made it [KSAT, Jan 26, 2004]. Martinez, the father of her two younger children and a person of interest who refused a polygraph test, remains unlinked by definitive evidence to her disappearance.

Although the remark’s authenticity is uncertain, it might have been a casual comment that later seemed prophetic or it could reflect Marisol’s awareness of a threat around her. Similar cases include Susan Powell, Amber Guichelaar, and Kathleen Savio, who made eerie predictions before their fates, suggesting a pattern worth considering in unresolved mysteries like this.

Name	What they said/wrote	Circumstances	Outcome
Marisol Hernandez	"Mom, if I don’t return, it’s because someone killed me."	Disappeared January 16, 2004, after meeting a child’s father.	Never found; statement unverified.
Susan Powell	"If I die, it may not be an accident."	Disappeared December 7, 2009; husband a suspect.	Body never found; husband killed self and sons.
Amber Guichelaar	"Am I safe sleeping next to him?"	Found dead November 16, 2020; husband convicted.	Husband sentenced to prison.
Kathleen Savio	Told friends her ex might harm her.	Found dead February 29, 2004; ex convicted.	Ex-husband Drew Peterson convicted.

How You Can Help

If you have information, contact the San Antonio Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at (210) 207-7660 [KSAT, Jan 19, 2004] or submit a tip via NamUs MP4285. Sharing this post could bring Marisol’s family closer to closure.

Use Wayback Machine for Old Links Related to this Case

For those interested in diving deeper into Marisol Hernandez’s disappearance, the Wayback Machine offers a valuable resource to access archived news articles that are no longer available on live websites. One particularly insightful article is available at this KSAT link from February 6, 2004. This piece, titled "Missing Woman's Boyfriend Ruled Out As Suspect," provides detailed accounts from her boyfriend Justin Meece about her planned child support meeting with Mark Martinez, alongside Martinez’s denial of the meeting, offering critical context to the events of January 16, 2004. Readers are encouraged to explore this archived report to better understand the early investigation and the lingering questions surrounding her case.

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