A San Angelo woman was booked this week after police say an anonymous tip led them to human remains and a statement in the fatal attack and dismemberment of her boyfriend. Authorities say the discovery, recovered from a local dumpster and a landfill, quickly turned a missing-person investigation into a criminal homicide case.
San Angelo police identified the suspect as Audrey Troncoso, 31, and the victim as 34-year-old Roland Matthew Sheppard. Troncoso faces a single count of murder, according to charging documents released by the department.
Investigators say the sequence began when a tipster contacted authorities on June 24, reporting they had witnessed a violent incident the night before at a Parker Street residence. Police executed searches at multiple locations after following up on the call.
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At the apartment complex known as Apple Tree Apartments, detectives searched dumpsters and learned one had already been emptied into municipal garbage collection. Officers later stopped a trash truck and diverted it to a landfill, where they located a tied black bag containing wrapped parcels that, when opened, revealed bloody materials and items inspectors described as resembling household carpet and clothing.
Another bag recovered at the site contained what investigators described as a dismembered torso marked with tattoos that matched known images of the victim, according to the affidavit. Officers then served a search warrant at the Parker Street home and detained Troncoso there.
Police allege that during a recorded custodial interview Troncoso admitted to fatally shooting and repeatedly stabbing Sheppard, then cutting his body into parts using knives and a saw. She also reportedly described placing portions of the remains in containers and mixing concrete to conceal other parts on the property. Detectives say additional human material was found in containers inside a red vehicle at the scene.
- June 23 (alleged): The tipster reported seeing the violent incident that night.
- June 24: Anonymous tip led to searches; dumpsters and a landfill yielded bloody evidence and a torso.
- After search warrant: Police located more remains and alleged confession at Parker Street residence; suspect detained.
- Legal status: Troncoso held on a $2 million bond; a relative has been charged with evidence tampering.
Authorities also arrested the suspect’s father, identified as Mario Valdes Troncoso Jr., 54, on a charge of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. Court records show he is accused of assisting in concealing the victim’s remains.
The San Angelo Police Department described the pair as having been in a live‑in relationship. Local television affiliates that covered the press conference say the affidavit includes detailed statements from officers who noted the odor and appearance of fresh blood on recovered materials.
Prosecutors have filed the murder charge and the case is pending. Troncoso remains in the Tom Green County Detention Center on the $2 million bond; further hearings have not yet been publicly scheduled.
Why this matters now: investigators say the arrest stemmed directly from a civilian report, highlighting how community tips can rapidly change the scope of a probe. The case also raises procedural questions about evidence handling — from on‑scene collection to landfill recovery — that will be central to the prosecution and any defense.
