ID’s ‘Grave Secrets’ 2×01 “Beneath the Stairs” – Reyna Marroquin Murder

Reyna Marroquin Murder

Reyna Marroquin Murder: How Did Howard Elkins Die? – Reyna Angélica Marroqun, a Salvadoran lady, was murdered in the United States in 1969. In 1999, after thirty years, the bones of Marroqun were discovered in the home of Howard B. Elkins, a businessman who was accused of murdering Marroqun. Before Elkins could be arrested, charged, or questioned, he committed suicide.

Investigation Discovery examines the brutal death of 27-year-old Reyna Marroquin in ‘Grave Secrets’ Season 2 Episode 1 titled, “Beneath the Stairs.” The official conclusion of her murder case was reached despite the fact that the police never discovered and apprehended the perpetrator. If you want to know more about Reyna Marroquin’s murder and her killer, read the full story below.

Official Synopsis:

“New homeowners spot a barrel in their crawlspace and are horrified to find a body inside; later, forensic experts recover a cryptic note saying, “I told the truth.”

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How Did Reyna Marroquin Die

How Did Reyna Marroquin Die?

The skeletal remains of a Hispanic lady in her late 20s who stood between 145 and 152 cm (4’9″ and 5’0″) tall and had unusual dental work were discovered in a 55-gallon drum in the crawl space of a house in Jericho, Nassau County, New York, on September 2, 1999.

Head injuries caused by blunt force were the official cause of death. In addition to polystyrene pellets, the drum contained rings (one with “M.H.R.” etched on it), a locket inscribed “To Patrice, Love Uncle Phil,” green dye, a plastic artificial plant stem, and an address book.

The drum was initially manufactured to transport dye in 1963. There was evidence that it had been sent to Melrose Plastics, the artificial flower firm partially owned by local tycoon Howard B. Elkins, who also owned the Jericho residence. He held this position until 1972, when he and his wife decided to sell the business and move to Boca Raton, Florida. 

Under infrared light, the old address book may be partially read.

The first page of the Permanent Residence Card indicates that Reyna Angélica Marroqun, a 28-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, had worked as a nanny and for a manufacturer of artificial flowers at a facility on East 34th Street in Manhattan.

Marroqun had a friend named Kathy Andrade, whose telephone number is included in the novel. Andrade told the police that Marroqun was having an affair with Elkins, but Elkins’ wife had contacted her and told her that she was scared of him. Andrade visited Marroqun at his apartment, but it was empty; he never heard from him again. Employees at Melrose Plastics reportedly joked that the child’s father was Elkins after a woman matching Marroqun’s description appeared with the youngster.

Who Killed Reyna Marroquin

Investigation in Reyna Marroquin Murder Case

Elkins resisted throughout his interview with detectives, who informed him that they intended to obtain a warrant to take his DNA for comparison with the foetal tissue discovered from Marroqun. A 12-gauge Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun, purchased earlier that day at a Walmart store, was found between Elkins’ legs when he was discovered dead the next day, September 10, 1999, in the back seat of a neighbour’s vehicle. DNA testing confirmed that Elkins was the biological father of the foetus.

Elkins could have murdered Marroqun in her apartment in New Jersey or after luring her to the factory. After taking the body to the residence in Nassau County, he may have intended to dispose of it at sea using his boat. After filling a barrel with plastic pellets to make it sink, he realised it was too heavy to move and instead placed it in the basement crawl space.

In the meantime, the detectives traced the barrel and discovered it was made in 1965 by a chemical company in Linden, New Jersey. The police learned that Howard Elkins was a co-owner of the plant where Reyna had worked after speaking with the neighbours. They also discovered that he was the owner of the residence where his body was discovered. When an anonymous phone call alerted authorities of Howard’s extramarital romance with Reyna, the police felt Howard’s name had been mentioned too frequently to be a mere coincidence.

Oscar Corral travelled to San Martn, El Salvador, where Marroqun’s mother, who was 95 years old at the time, revealed she had dreamed her son was trapped in a barrel. Marroqun was interred in El Salvador, and a month later, her mother also died and was interred alongside her.

How Did Howard Elkins Die

How Did Howard Elkins Die?

On September 9, 1999, the police visited Howard at his upscale Boca Raton, Florida, retirement community. He disclosed to the police that he had an affair with a female employee, but he could not recollect her name or look. Additionally, he refused to acknowledge that one of his prior residences held a barrel containing a pregnant lady’s body. However, Howard refused to provide a blood sample when police requested one to exclude him as a suspect.

Howard was informed that the police would return the next day with a court order to draw his blood. On September 10, law officers discovered him dead in his neighbour’s vehicle. He utilised a 12-gauge Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun to commit suicide. It was revealed via a further inquiry that the weapon was lodged between his legs.

In January of 2000, the laboratory results of comparing Howard’s DNA sample to those of the placenta, foetus, and Reyna’s bones were released. The test revealed a level of confidence of 99.93% that he was the father of the victim’s unborn child. Howard buried her bones in a barrel for approximately thirty years before the authorities discovered them and established he had murdered her in a fit of rage. Once the main suspect was killed, however, the case was closed, and no charges were filed in connection with Reyna’s murder.

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