Dateline: Who was Cathy Torrez and what happened to her? Disturbing details of the 1994 murder, revealed 

The Dateline episode titled The Promise recounted the tragic case of Cathy Torrez, who was murdered by her boyfriend, Sam Lopez, back in 1994. Dateline further revealed that the close-knit community of Placentia was rocked by the shocking murder, and almost twenty-six years after the deed, the culprit, Sam Lopez, finally coughed up a confession in the courtroom, before he was sentenced to twenty-six years to life in a state prison by the judge.

Here's everything that we know about the Dateline episode.

Dateline: The brutal murder of Cathy Torrez

Cathy Torrez was twenty years old at the time of her murder. She was last seen leaving work on that fateful day in 1994 and was headed towards an ice-cream shop located in Placentia. She then went missing until her bloody and lifeless body was discovered inside the trunk of her car after a massive search that spanned the entire community. Right from the beginning, her boyfriend, Sam Lopez, was a prime suspect.

Dateline narrated that Lopez was a jealous man who would often have arguments with his girlfriends. The conflict came to a boiling point after Lopez discovered a hickey given to Torrez by another man. This was one week before her eventual disappearance.

It was also mentioned on the Dateline episode that Lopez had popped the question to Torrez, asking her to elope with him and marry him. Torrez had, however, turned down the idea as she was fond of a proper ceremonial wedding in the presence of her family.

Lopez was considered to be the culprit long before he made his confession in court. This was due to the fact that after the discovery of Torrez's body, he betrayed little to no emotion and wasn't interested in uncovering the identity of the killer.

Dateline: Sam Lopez confesses to Cathy Torrez's murder

Lopez confessed to killing Cathy almost twenty-six years after the deed, saying:

"It was all my fault. Everything that Mr. (Deputy District Attorney Matt) Murphy said is true. I do hope and pray this brings at least a small amount of relief from the pain I have caused them. This was a horrible act that never should have happened."

While Judge David A. Hoffer acknowledged Lopez's honesty, he declared that the confession came too late and wasn't enough to comfort the family of the victim. Torrez's elder sister, Tina Mora, commented:

"It brought so much pain to hear him say what he did to my sister. It rocks you to the core. Samuel believes he is above earthly judgment. That is why he has lived his life with no remorse for the horrific things he did to my sister. Confess how you grabbed Cathy, how she screamed at you to stop. … Share with God how you ignored her cries. Tell him why you chased her and stabbed her in the back. Confess how you picked up her bloody body, how she cried and told you to stop."

Torrez's mother similarly declared:

Trending

"I still believe he has no remorse for what he did."

Dateline is exclusively available on NBC.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback