Body found near river ID’D as missing teen

A decomposed body found in Guadalupe County was determined to be that of a teenage boy missing since October from Jackson County.

Benjamin “Tank” Loera, 16, of Vanderbilt, was found dead Dec. 20 in the area of FM 1117 at the Guadalupe River bridge, according to the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office.

The Texas Rangers identified Loera’s body Monday. The sheriff ’s office said his body was found above the flood area of the river in a brushy area.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Rangers have been investigating Benjamin’s disappearance since Oct. 26. His death has been ruled a homicide, officials said.

As of Monday, three people remain in Jackson County authorities’ custody on charges related to

Benjamin’s disappearance.

Kyler Ray Rector, 19, and Casey Wayne Jenschke, 23, are charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault, Sheriff Kelly Janica said. Rector was arrested Nov. 23, and Jenschke was arrested Nov. 29.

Bail for Rector and Jenschke totals $200,000 each. They have since been indicted on the charges by a Jackson County grand jury.

Additional charges are pending an investigation by a grand jury,

Janica said.

A 15-year-old girl is also being held in the Victoria County Juvenile Detention Center in connection with Loera’s disappearance. The sheriff could not comment further on her status because she is a juvenile and her information is not publicly available.

The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine Loera’s cause of death.

Janica said he could not comment further on Loera’s disappearance, but he said the suspects were living in Lolita, which is 5 miles from Vanderbilt. He said people from the towns know each other from traveling among the communities in the southern part of Jackson County.

Janica said the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the homicide aspect of Loera’s case.