Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - 5 key details about Cathy Torrez's case

Dateline: Secrets Uncovered revisits the Cathy Torrez murder, a case that began with a missing college student and ended with a courtroom confession. The focus stays on verified records, the evidence path, and how the case moved after long gaps.

A re-air of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 5 episode The Promise is set for Thursday, September 18 at 8:00 pm on Oxygen. Local listings may vary by provider.

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Case Background on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

Cathy Torrez was a 20-year-old Cal State Fullerton student who vanished on February 12, 1994, after leaving work. A week later, her Toyota Corolla was located at Placentia Linda Hospital. Her body was in the trunk. The medical examiner found dozens of stab wounds and ruled the death a homicide.

Detectives worked on an evidence-driven timeline. They logged the last contacts, processed the car, and noted details that suggested she did not walk into the dump site on her own. The case would cool, return, and eventually land in court two decades after the crime.

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5 key details in the Dateline: Secrets Uncovered case

1) A weeklong search ends at a hospital parking lot

Torrez’s car was found on February 19, 1994, parked near Placentia Linda Hospital, with her body in the trunk. This discovery closed the search phase and shifted the case fully to homicide work. According to the Los Angeles Times, police publicly identified a former boyfriend as a suspect the following year while stating they lacked enough evidence to arrest him.

A weeklong search ended when her car was found at a hospital lot (Image via Unsplash)

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2) Family pressure and time strengthen the case

Relatives stayed in steady contact with police leadership and kept the case visible. Years later, improved testing renewed lab work on items from the car and clothing, helping move the file out of the cold-case stack. Cal State Fullerton News reported on arrests tied to reanalyzed genetic material and described the family’s sustained push.

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3) Arrests arrive more than a decade later

In 2007, authorities arrested Sam Lopez and his cousin Xavier Lopez. A third relative, Armando Lopez, faced accusations of dissuading a witness and acting as an accessory. The Orange County Register later detailed the theory that jealousy and a renewed relationship preceded the attack, as presented by the prosecution.

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4) A confession in court and a life-term sentence

At sentencing in 2015, Sam Lopez stated in open court that the prosecution’s account was accurate and apologized to the family. Judge David A. Hoffer imposed 26 years to life. The Seattle Times’ coverage of similar sentencing reasoning in comparable cases is echoed here by local reporting; CBS Los Angeles reported on the apology and sentence.

In 2015, Sam Lopez apologized in court and received 26 years to life (Image via Pexels)

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5) Pleas from relatives tied to the cover-up

Post-verdict, cases connected to alleged assistance moved forward. In 2017, Armando Lopez pleaded guilty to dissuading a witness and received informal probation. Xavier Lopez later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and received a four-year, eight-month sentence. ABC7 Los Angeles reported the plea and sentencing details for Armando Lopez.

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Where to watch Dateline: Secrets Uncovered

The re-air of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - The Promise is scheduled for Thursday, September 1,8 at 8:00 pm ET on Oxygen. Check provider guides for exact timing in each market.

Beyond linear TV, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered can also be streamed on fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Oxygen.

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Also read: Nicole Pietz's case - A detailed case overview ahead of Dateline

Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar