The death of Elizabeth Ennen startled the people of Lubbock, Texas.
She was brutally murdered in January 2011 by a person she knew. At first, the police thought she had escaped with her lover. However, they ultimately learned something much worse.
Before coming to a conclusion about the case, they watched the tape for several hours.
Her family claimed that she was a gifted student who enjoyed reading. She was praised for being lovely, polite, and considerate of others.
She left her house on January 4, 2011, after watching a friend’s kid, shocking her family.
After nearly three weeks of looking, the authorities located Elizabeth’s body in a field outside of the city. Her body’s fingerprints allowed for identification.
The autopsy report concluded that she was killed by strangulation.
Investigative Discovery’s “See No Evil: The Vanishing Babysitter” tells the 15-year-old Elizabeth Ennen’s story.
Let’s delve more deeply into the specifics of the Elizabeth Ennen murder case and how the video evidence contributed to the capture of her killer.
Humberto Bert Maldanado Salinas Jr. hired Elizabeth to look after his children. She agreed to watch his children since she needed the extra cash to purchase her brother a birthday gift.
For her babysitting job, she stayed at a motel called Carriage House Motel.
Her family was anticipating her return around midnight. But when she didn’t come back by 1:30 am, Virginia, her mother, became concerned.
Unexpectedly, Bert showed up at their home and claimed to have discovered a pocketbook that Elizabeth had abandoned.
He stated that just fifteen minutes earlier, he had left her off at home. Virginia, though, was aware that her daughter had not entered the home.
Elizabeth had left her phone at home, which was discovered after she checked Elizabeth’s room and attempted to call her.
Bert stayed with Virginia while she made a police call. The authorities initially believed Elizabeth had escaped like many other teens.
Elizabeth would never go without her phone, according to her aunt Mary.
Bert even assisted the family in their search for Elizabeth by handing out fliers and enquiring about any sightings from his neighbours.
The 19-year-old son of Bert, who was dating Elizabeth, was the primary target of the police’s initial investigation.
Later, though, the cops shifted their attention and began to scrutinise Bert personally. He was notorious for injuring people and kids and had a lengthy history of terrible behaviour.
The night of January 4, the cops viewed the motel’s security footage. Around 10:45 p.m., they observed Bert returning to the room where Elizabeth was watching the children.
Additionally, around 11:47 p.m., the camera showed Elizabeth hurriedly leave the room with her purse. She conveyed fear and worry.
Bert pursued her intently. As they returned to the room, the investigators noticed Bert tightly grasping Elizabeth’s arm.
Eight minutes later, they walked down the hall and out of the room.
At one point, Elizabeth tried to flee from Bert, but he was too strong, so she was forced to go to the parking lot.
Bert admitted to killing Elizabeth when the police played the footage for him.
He also showed them where he had stashed her body.
Bert had been a longtime friend of the Ennen family, and their loss shattered their hearts. They even assisted him when he had nowhere to stay.
In April 2012, Bert, who was 46 at the time, admitted killing Beth after taking her hostage and entered a plea of guilty to capital murder.
Former Lubbock County criminal district attorney Matt Powell recalled having difficulty determining whether to take Bert’s case to trial or offer him a settlement.
Bert was sentenced to life in jail by the prosecution, but they chose to give the family closure.
Bert was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after entering a guilty plea.
According to reports, the 57-year-old is incarcerated for life in the H. H. Coffield Unit in Tennessee Colony, Texas.