5 key details about Julie Gonzalez's mysterious disappearance 

Julie Gonzalez, a 21-year-old pharmacy technician and devoted mother from Austin, Texas, vanished on March 26, 2010, leaving behind a trail of puzzling clues. She had recently separated from her husband, George DeLaCruz, amid a strained marriage.

George spent long hours gaming while she supported their two-year-old daughter, Layla. Julie was excited about reconnecting with an old flame, Aaron, and planning a new chapter.

On the day she disappeared, she dropped off Layla but failed to return. Family members received odd text messages from her phone, claiming she was starting over in Colorado with a man named James. The messages seemed out of character due to her proper grammar and deep bond with Layla. Her MySpace page posted similar content. Her car was later found abandoned in a Walgreens parking lot.

Initially treated as voluntary, it turned into a homicide probe, leading to DeLaCruz's arrest and conviction despite no body being found. The case was discussed in season 1 episode 6 of Caught in the Net, which aired on April 18, 2022. The episode will rerun on Investigation Discovery on September 5, 2025.

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Five crucial facts regarding Julie Gonzalez's mysterious absence

1) Fake social media and text activity

Julie's family received a suspicious text when she was missing (Image via Unsplash/ @ Christian Wiediger)

After Julie Gonzalez went missing on March 26, 2010, her family received text messages from her phone, as per an article by Oxygen. These messages said she was fine but needed time alone. The slang used was not her style, as she always used correct spelling and grammar. Her MySpace page also had a post claiming she met a man named James and was moving to Denver, Colorado, for a new start.

This seemed strange because Julie had no ties to Colorado and would not leave her daughter, Layla. Investigators later found that the MySpace post came from an IP address linked to George DeLaCruz's home, per a Texas District & County Attorneys Association case study. The texts were sent from areas near his house, too.

This evidence suggested someone else was using her accounts to make it look like she left on her own. According to the Oxygen article, her family knew something was wrong right away, as Julie Gonzalez talked to them daily and shared her plans openly.

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2) Abandoned car in the parking lot

Julie Gonzalez's car was found abandoned near her workplace (Image via Unsplash/ @ Irving Macías)

Days after her disappearance, Julie Gonzalez's gold Chevy Impala was discovered parked in a Walgreens lot near her place of employment in Austin, Texas. No keys were inside the car, and there were no indications of a fight or break-in. The store's security cameras did not capture the person who left the car there.

This discovery raised questions because Julie was supposed to pick up her daughter that day and had work the next week. She would not leave her car like that without telling anyone, as per Oxygen.

Police checked the area but found no other clues. Her family searched nearby, too, but nothing turned up. The car's location suggested it was placed there on purpose to confuse people.

Debit card records showed use at nearby stores like Walmart and McDonald's around the time she vanished, but as credit instead of her usual debit method. This detail helped shift the case from a missing person to something more serious, according to a report by KXAN.

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3) Failed lie detector test

George failed the polygraph test (Image via Unsplash/ @ Spencer Davis)

In August 2010, George DeLaCruz, Julie's estranged husband, appeared on the Dr. Phil show to discuss her disappearance. During the episode, he took a lie detector test. The results showed signs of deception when he answered questions about knowing what happened to Julie Gonzalez or if he caused her harm.

This failure drew attention to him as a possible suspect. DeLaCruz said he was innocent and that Julie Gonzalez dropped off their daughter that morning. However, the test results made authorities look closer at his story.

His Xbox, which he used for up to 18 hours a day, had a 20-hour break in activity on the day she went missing. This unusual gap added to the doubts. According to Oxygen, the family hoped this would speed up the case, as they believed Julie would never vanish without a trace.

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4) Debit card usage by suspect

George was using Julie's credit card for a shopping spree (Image via Unsplash/ @ David Montero)

About two weeks after Julie disappeared, her debit card was used at a Walmart to buy items like children's clothes and a movie, as per the Texas District & County Attorneys Association's case study. Security footage from the store showed George DeLaCruz making the purchase, not Julie. He was alone in the video.

This was odd because Julie always used the card as a debit with a PIN, but these transactions were run as credit. Police also traced her phone signals to areas near DeLaCruz's home and the stores on the day she vanished.

A search of his backyard found a burn pit with charred clothes and metal pieces, though no direct link to Julie Gonzalez. These findings pointed to DeLaCruz trying to create a false trail.

He had photos on his phone of Julie with her new partner, Aaron, suggesting jealousy as a reason, as reported by KXAN. The card use became key evidence in building the case against him, showing he had access to her things after she was gone.

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5) Conviction without a body

George was convicted of first-degree murder of Julie (Image via Getty)

In September 2013, George DeLaCruz was arrested and charged with murder. The trial started in April 2015 in Travis County, Texas.

Prosecutors used digital evidence like phone pings, the debit card video, and the fake messages to argue he killed Julie Gonzalez out of jealousy and hid her body. No remains or weapons were found, making it a no-body case. The defense claimed there was insufficient proof and that Julie might have left alone, as per KXAN.

He received a life sentence without parole. DeLaCruz has appealed, claiming innocence, according to Fox 7. Julie Gonzalez's family, including her mother, Sandra Soto, felt some relief but still sought her remains for closure. As of 2025, the case remains closed with no new leads, and community events continue to remember Julie and ask for tips.

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Watch Caught in the Net on Investigation Discovery.