The family of a missing man described as 鈥渢he life of the party鈥� is seeking answers after his body was found in a creek in Kaufman County not far from the jail where he was last seen.
When Rigoberto Badillo, 49, was booked into the Kaufman County Detention Center on Jan. 13 for a probation violation on a 2023 DWI charge, his family said they expected to see him at the end of his seven-day sentence. What they didn鈥檛 expect was for him to be released just after midnight on Jan. 19, when temperatures were in the 20s.
After his release from jail, Badillo went missing. He wasn鈥檛 found until Sunday afternoon, when his own family discovered his body near the 1900 block of East Hwy 175, between the Kaufman County Sheriff鈥檚 Office and Numo Manufacturing.
鈥淎 simple phone call to one of us to pick [him] up, this outcome wouldn't have been him being gone,鈥� said Badillo鈥檚 wife, Juanita Badillo. "It would have been different. He would still be with us, and we wouldn't have to mourn his death. And my kids would still have their father.鈥�
She said her husband was likely disoriented when he was released from jail.
鈥淚t angers me because this is something that doesn't make no sense at all and doesn't make no sense of him losing his life or something that could have been prevented,鈥� she said.
According to a police report, a Kaufman police corporal reported Badillo opening the back door of a squad car at approximately 1:30 a.m. In the report, the officer said Badillo 鈥渄oesn't seem to be all there.鈥� The report indicated he walked off to the nearby pet adoption center and was being monitored by cameras. He left his personal belongings 鈥� including his wallet and cell phone 鈥� in front of the jail.
四虎影院 reached out to both the Kaufman County Sheriff鈥檚 Department and Kaufman Police Department.
Kaufman Police Chief Les Edwards told 四虎影院 in a statement 鈥渢he City of Kaufman Police Department continues to investigate the matter and are awaiting the findings and official identification from the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office.鈥�
A cause of death is still under investigation.
Badillo鈥檚 family just wants to know what happened to him 鈥� and whether it could have been prevented.
鈥淲e want justice. I know a lot of people on social media were saying, you know, that they're not responsible for giving him a ride or making sure that he gets home safe,鈥� said Juanita Badillo. "I know they're not, but they could have called a courtesy call.鈥�
They鈥檙e also hoping there is a policy change so no other families will have to endure what they went through. The family is considering legal action.
Juanita Badillo said her family feels incomplete without her husband, who she married in 1992. Their oldest son, Eddie Badillo, celebrated his birthday with his dad every December; they were born just a day apart.
鈥淭his is going to be one of the first years that we will be separated for that,鈥� Eddie Badillo said. "I'm not looking forward to that at all. He was my birthday buddy.鈥�
Priscilla Rice is 四虎影院鈥檚 communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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