A young woman experienced the heartbreaking discovery of her brother’s murder through social media, just shortly after he had left their family home.
Christina Rae, a 25-year-old from Austin, Texas, last spent time with her brother, Josh Rivera, 28, at their parents’ residence. He had left to take care of some ‘errands’ and assured her he would return soon. However, Josh did not come back the following day.
Christina recounted: “As I was pulling up to my parent’s, I saw Josh and spoke to him for 30 minutes or so. He said he needed to run some errands, but he would be right back. Little did I know that would be the last time I saw him alive.”
Concern grew within the family when his older brother, Henry, 32, took to Facebook asking if anyone had seen Josh, and his 13-year-old sister, Mia, informed Christina that Josh had not returned home the next day.
Tragically, it was later revealed that Josh had been fatally shot by Joshua Fernandovazquez Trezaratti, 46, at a residence on Mickelson Drive in Southeast Austin on October 24, 2023.
Police arrived at the scene around 5pm and discovered Josh with gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Christina only learned the devastating news about her brother’s death through a Facebook comment she saw the next day. A police report caught her attention on social media, and she recognized Josh’s black Ford Escape in the accompanying image.
Moments later, a friend of Josh posted an ‘RIP Josh’ message, followed by a call from her mother, Mindy, 46, confirming the tragic news.
Reflecting on the moment, the social media marketer said: “When I got the call to say that Josh wasn’t home, I remember telling everyone not to panic. I thought he would have just spent the night at someone’s.”
After encountering the police report online and her brother’s friend’s post, Christina recalled her mother ‘called [her] screaming hysterically’.
“We were having so many people message us on Facebook asking if it was true that Josh was dead,” she continued. “Minutes later, my mom called me. She was screaming her head off that Josh was murdered, she kept screaming down the phone.”
She immediately went to ensure their younger sister Mia was okay.
During the trial in July, it emerged that Trezaratti allegedly instructed his wife to make Josh believe she was alone at her home to lure him there. A confrontation ensued when Josh reportedly made unwelcome advances toward her, while Trezaratti, armed with a shotgun, lay in wait in another room.
Following a struggle, Trezaratti reportedly accessed a handgun and used it to fatally wound Josh.
Josh’s former partner, Arleen Juarez, 34, expressed her belief: “I do believe his murder was pre-planned, and I do believe that he was tricked. It makes me feel sad. Whatever they thought about Josh, they had no reason to take his life. They took a father from his children, they took a son, a brother, a man who was very loved by his family.”
On July 18, Trezaratti was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Christina has voiced her dissatisfaction, stating that the 18-year sentence is insufficient, describing it as a ‘slap in the face’ for the loss of her ‘teddy bear’ brother.
“I got to take the stand, so did my dad, Josh’s two kids, and my sister,” she said. “I was very angry, I was filled with emotions. It felt like an out-of-body experience. You are facing the person who not only ruined your brother’s life but also ruined everyone’s around him.”
“Trezaratti really thought he was going to win, he cried when he was sentenced. I personally feel like 18 years is not enough for a life. My brother only got 28 years on this world, we will spend every day missing him. It felt like a slap in the face to all of us.”