Name: Zoe Campos
Age: 18 years old
Last seen: November 18, 2013
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Status: Found deceased in November of 2018
Disappeared: Season 8 Episode 6 “Into the Night”
Case Information
18 year old Zoe Campos was last seen on November 18, 2013 in Lubbock, Texas. She disappeared on her way to pick her mother up from work, and hasn’t been heard from since.
Disappearance
Zoe Campos was last seen on the evening of Sunday November 17, 2013 in Lubbock Texas. Zoe was at her sister’s house, and after watching a movie together her sister went to bed around 11:30 pm.
At 2:20 am on November 18, 2013 Zoe texted her mother telling her that she was on her way to pick her up from work on East 34 Street in Lubbock. The drive should have taken Zoe 10 minutes, but she never showed up. Zoe hasn’t been seen or heard from since.
Her mother called Zoe back, but she didn’t answer and it went to voicemail. At 8:00 am it was discovered that Zoe was not at her sister’s house, and that her car was gone. When her family called her phone it went straight to voicemail.
At 5:00 pm her family called the police and an APB was put out on Zoe’s car, a silver four door 1997 Lincoln Town Car. A missing person’s case was filed the next day.
Investigation
On the evening of Wednesday November 20, Zoe’s aunt Monica spotted Zoe’s car. She pulled up next to it and saw an unidentified man in a hoodie driving. After losing sight of it briefly she ended up finding Zoe’s car abandoned in the Driftwood apartment complex, located on 5501 Utica Avenue.
The police were called and showed up an hour later. They found Zoe’s phone charger and a male’s sweatshirt in the backseat, her jacket and a roll of duct tape was found in the trunk. No good fingerprints were found on the car.
Police traced Zoe’s last cellphone activity (the text to her mother around 2:00 am on November 18) to within a 1 mile radius of Lowery Field, a football stadium near South-Central Lubbock.
Case information via The Charley Project, Lost N Missing & Have You Seen Us
Zoe’s Remains Found, Suspect Charged in Murder
On November 7, 2018 investigators found a bone in a backyard just west of Lowery Field on 70th Street. Police state that the bone is related to the Zoe Campos investigation, but they have not confirmed whether it’s a human bone. At this time, the findings and that specific area remain an active part of the investigation.
On November 15, 2018 Lubbock Police obtained a search warrant for a home in the 1900 block of 70th Street. The warrant authorizes police to search the entire property for blood, trace evidence and human remains.
On November 16, 2018 human remains were found buried in a backyard of a home in the 1900 block of 70th Street in Lubbock. The suspect, 25 year old Carlos Andrew Rodriquez, is in custody and has been charged in connection to the death of Zoe Campos.
Previous jail records indicate that Rodriquez used to live at the house where the remains were found. Rodriguez was a person of interest that police were looking at earlier in this case but did not have enough evidence to secure a warrant.
Details from a warrant released on November 20 state that Rodriquez confessed to strangling Zoe to death. Afterwards he dug a shallow grave next to his porch, then drove her car to the Driftwood Apartments and abandoned it.
On November 21 the remains that were found on November 16 were positively identified as Zoe Campos.
Carlos Rodriquez Pleads Guilty to Murder of Zoe Campos
On August 15, 2022, Carlos Rodriquez pleaded guilty to the murder of Zoe Campos. He elected to have a jury determine his sentence and faces 5 – 99 years in prison.
On August 18, 2022, a jury sentenced Rodriquez to life in prison. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
Appearance
Zoe Campos was 18 years old when she disappeared. She is 5 feet tall and weighs 100 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last known to be wearing a light mint green corset, a black jacket, and black pants.
Investigating Agency
If you have any information regarding the disappearance of Zoe Campos please contact the Lubbock Police Department at (806) 741-1000, Private Investigator Paula Boudreaux at (214) 926-0048, or the FBI at (972) 559-5000.
Resources & Further Information
Missing Zoe Campos – Facebook
Missing Girl Next Door a Victim of Trafficking? – Crimewatch
Zoe Campos Missing – Blogtalkradio podcast
Zoe Campos – Websleuths thread
Zoe Gabrielle Campos – Mydeathspace thread
News & Media Links
3 Years After Disappearance Investigators Remain Hopeful – Lubbock (12/16)
The Search for Zoe Campos Continues – KCBD (12/16)
Carlos Rodriquez sends handwritten letter detailing Zoe Campos’ murder – KCBD 07/19
Rodriquez Gets Life In Prison For Zoe Campos Murder – Everything Lubbock
Videos & Flyers
Why don’t the police set up an undercover operation?
Have a police officer matching Zoe’s description walk the same route for a month or two or even longer. If someone took Zoe that lives in that city, they are bound to do it again. Sometimes you have to get creative to catch a low down scum. If the police won’t set up a sting, maybe the family can find a way to don’t themselves. It may be dangerous ht it may also lead to answers. Who knows, maybe whoever took her is dumb enough to try again.
They found her buried in the backyard of Carlos Rodriquez in late 2018
My heart goes out to the family ,love and prayers for peace. I saw the episode and had to see if they caught anyone . It saddens me that she wasn’t found alive but maybe now that the person who did this was caught and her body back to her family they can heal from the loss.