Police Believe Missing Woman is Dead

Husband charged with giving false statement

CONROE, Texas - Three days of searching a massive landfill and there is still no sign of a missing Conroe woman.

Conroe Police believe this is more than just a missing persons case. The husband of Martha Jimenez has been charged with giving authorities a false statement.

"She was last seen on Saturday night April the 9th at around midnight when she was leaving work,” said Conroe PD Sgt. Joe Smart. “She was actually seen on her store's surveillance videotape closing the store so we know she was okay then and she hasn't been seen since."

He confirms, at this point, they believe the 45-year-old is dead.

Martha's husband, Luis, has worked at the landfill in Cleveland for 4 years.

"We have reason to believe that he was here on Sunday morning the 10th," Deputy Chief Russell Reynolds told us.

That's because of what was seen on surveillance video.

"We do know a vehicle was seen with unauthorized access into the landfill," Reynolds said.

All employees have the combination to open the gate at the landfill. The property is laid out very methodically and in a grid pattern. Search crews are concentrating on the area that was active when Martha disappeared.

But wouldn't anyone who works here know which area to avoid?

"We have our reasons to believe that this the best place, the best choice," Deputy Chief Reynolds said.

Tim Miller with Texas Equusearch is helping in the efforts. Heavy machinery has been called in and more than a dozen people are carefully sifting through the piles of trash.

Even though three days have turned up nothing, Miller insists everyone remains optimistic and determined.

"We know that there is a holiday coming up and I think we're all even focused more on getting her home so her children have some answers by Easter," Miller said.

Police tell us that they have not had any calls to the family's home in Conroe in the past. They do confirm there were "issues" between the couple.

Luis Jimenez is being held in the Montgomery County jail charged with giving a false statement to police.

In the meantime, search crews will be back at the landfill on Thursday. If they still do not find anything at the end of the day, they will reevaluate and decide how to proceed from there.