August 4, 1990. San Antonio, Texas. While walking home from her friend’s house, eleven-year old Heidi Seeman goes missing after an apparent abduction. Nineteen days later, another San Antonio girl, seven-year old Erica Botello, is abducted from outside her apartment complex. The bodies of each victim are soon found at separate locations one day apart on the same weekend, but investigators are inclined to believe the murders are not connected. Both cases feature a number of compelling suspects, including an individual who was actively involved in the original search effort for Heidi, but there is not enough evidence to conclusively link anyone to either of these crimes. On this week’s episode of “The Trail Went Cold”, we explore the unsolved murders of two separate girls which traumatized the city of San Antonio.

If you have any information about the murder of Heidi Seeman, please contact the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Missing Persons Hotline at 1-800-346-3243 or the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-252-TIPS (8477). If you have any information on the murder of Erica Botello, please contact the San Antonio Police Department at (210) 207-7273.

Additional Reading:

https://www.dps.texas.gov/apps/coldCase/Home/Details/56

https://www.sacurrent.com/news/25-years-later-the-heidi-seeman-murder-case-remains-unsolved-2459807

https://www.kens5.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/three-decades-later-1990-heidi-seeman-erica-botello-murders/273-0b1a1b93-2682-4cc6-8832-44b2e80f557f

https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/crime/article/Two-San-Antonio-girls-were-abducted-and-killed-30-15461432.php

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/04/august-marks-33-years-since-disappearances-of-heidi-seeman-erica-botello/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/364695644/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/435060934/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/590352539/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/968138763/

https://www.newspapers.com/image/356824573/

San Antonio Express-News (August 20, 1995)

KSAT News Update (February 1996)

“The Trail Went Cold” is on Patreon. Visit www.patreon.com/thetrailwentcold to become a patron and gain access to our exclusive bonus content.

“The Trail Went Cold” is going to be appearing on podcast row at “Crimecon UK” in London on September 21-22, 2024. To get a 10 % discount on the purchase of tickets to the event, please use our specialized promo code, “COLD24”, by visiting their website.

The Trail Went Cold is produced and edited by Magill Foote.

All music is composed by Vince Nitro.