The Murder of Raul Mendoza
For this case, I watched an episode of Swamp Murders. It’s season 5 episode 2, titled ‘ Secret Rendezvous’
A 23-year-old Navy veteran disappears after a poker night with friends.
Background
Raul Mendoza had recently returned to Houston, Texas, after being in the Navy. He had been worked at the airport as a baggage handler, and had only been there for a few months. Raul had recently reconnected with a childhood friend, and they were in a new relationship.
Raul was very close to his family, especially his older sister. His family always supported him, and he could go to them for anything.
Raul Mendoza
The Disappearance
On March 15, 2006, Raul went to see his girlfriend after leaving work. They had a disagreement, so he went home to have dinner with his family.
After dinner, Raul went to play poker with some of his friends. Raul won some money, which angered one of the friends that was there. Raul didn’t stay long, and left after receiving a text message.
Around midnight, Raul’s family was woken up by a phone call. The caller was a man from a towing company, and said that they had found Raul’s car on the south side of Houston. Raul’s phone and wallet were found inside. The towing company agreed to tow the car to the Mendoza home.
When the car arrived, Raul’s family found bullet holes and blood on the car. They contacted the Houston police, who said they would send someone out in the morning.
Raul’s family spent the night trying to contact any friends and family to see if anyone had seen Raul. No one had since he left the poker game.
The Discovery
The first stop was to talk to Raul’s friends from the poker night. One friend told the police about Raul winning, which angered one of the friends. The friend was eventually cleared, as he had left for work very early in the morning. Plus, they didn’t have any kind of physical altercation.
The next person the police wanted to speak to was Raul’s girlfriend. The relationship was described as very tumultuous, as she would get angry at Raul for a lot of very small things. She also had an alibi, and seemed very upset by his disappearance.
The Houston police called Texas EquuSearch to assist with the investigation. The area where Raul’s car had been found was just blocks away from the Buffalo Bayou.
While using a drone, one of the searchers had spotted something floating in the water. On March 19, 2006, the body of Raul Mendoza was located in some reeds. He was found wearing the same clothes that his family described he had been last seen in. It was clear that he had been shot several times.
There was no blood or shell casings found, so the police believed Raul was probably killed closer to where his car had been found.
The Childhood Friends
Raul’s family continued to search for answers. Raul’s sister went to speak with Raul’s girlfriend, and overheard a conversation she was having on the phone with someone named Jose.
Raul’s sister reported this to the police. She knew who Jose was, as he was the cousin of Raul’s girlfriend, and a childhood friend of theirs. Raul’s sister identified Jose as Jose ‘Polo’ Luis Nieva. The police’s ear perked up once they heard the nickname. They had spoken to Jose, and his friend, Joseph ‘Bird’ Godin.
While they were searching for the two men, the police received a tip. The tipster had called the police on March 15, the night Raul disappeared. The caller claimed to have heard gunshots and a car speeding away. This was just a few blocks from where Raul’s car was found, and near the overpass of the Buffalo Bayou.
The police eventually found the area where the crime occurred. They found shell casings and tire tracks.
The Convictions
Joseph ‘Bird’ Godin was questioned by the police. At first, he kept denying that he was involved. But, after he was asked why he didn’t stop ‘Polo,’ he claimed he couldn’t stop him.
Bird said that it all started when Polo borrowed $330 from Raul. He said Raul had wanted his money back, and asked for it almost everyday.
Polo had been the one who texted Raul on March 15, and claimed to have his money. Raul went to meet with Polo and Bird, and was shocked to see that they had a gun. Polo and Raul drove in Raul’s car, and Bird followed them near the overpass. Polo handed Bird the gun, and Bird shot him several times.
It wasn’t only about the money. Bird admitted that they had become jealous of Raul, as he thought he was better than them. Bird claimed he had no choice, and that Polo made him shoot Raul. They then rolled Raul’s body into the Bayou, and left.
In September 2007, both Jose Nieva and Joseph Godin were convicted of murder. Nieva was sentenced to 40 years, and Godin was sentenced to 45 years.
Raul’s girlfriend was never charged or convicted, despite knowing that the crime was going to happen.
Jose ‘Polo’ Nieva
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s clear that Nieva and Godin were extremely jealous that Raul was working hard to have a better life, and they weren’t. Raul never thought that his childhood friends were going to turn on him. They were greedy, and killed Raul over $330 and extreme jealousy. Raul was so young, but his life was taken way too soon. My heart breaks for his family, and I hope Raul’s killers are rotting in prison.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/raul-mendoza-murder-where-are-jose-luis-nieva-and-joseph-noel-godin-now/
https://spikytv.com/raul-mendoza-murder/
