Investigators traced a garbage truck, searched a landfill and arrested a woman accused of killing and dismembering her live-in partner.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — A report of an unrecorded homicide sent detectives through a fast-moving search of a dumpster, a commercial garbage truck, a landfill and a home before they arrested Audrey Reannan Troncoso on a murder charge in the death of her live-in partner, Roland Matthew Sheppard, police said.

The investigation began June 24, when San Angelo police received information that Sheppard, 34, may have been killed at a residence in the 1400 block of Parker Street. The information also directed investigators to a dumpster in the 600 block of Baker Street, where the caller said part of the victim’s remains had been discarded. Officers arrived after the dumpster had been emptied, but the collection did not end the search. Detectives identified the commercial truck that had serviced the container and intercepted it before its load was fully processed, according to police and an arrest affidavit described by local news organizations.

That effort became the first major turn in the case. Police Chief Travis Griffith said investigators searched the collected waste and found clothing and a large section of carpet with what appeared to be fresh blood. The affidavit said officers also found a large black trash bag secured at the top with a red tie. Inside were layers of silver-colored wrapping material, pieces of carpet, clothing and apparent blood. Another bag contained partial human remains, according to the affidavit. Tattoos on the recovered remains were comparable to known images of Sheppard, investigators said.

The discoveries gave detectives grounds to seek a search warrant for the Parker Street residence identified in the tip. Officers executed the warrant later that day and detained Troncoso, 31, at the property. Police said the home was the place where Sheppard had been killed. Authorities described Troncoso and Sheppard as romantic partners who lived together, but they did not release details about how long they had shared the home, whether anyone else lived there or what events preceded the violence.

Investigators said additional remains were found at the property and inside containers associated with a red vehicle parked in the driveway. According to the affidavit, some of the containers held human remains mixed with concrete. Police alleged that portions of Sheppard’s body had been placed in concrete-filled totes and moved into the vehicle. Officers also recovered knives and a saw that Troncoso allegedly described during an interview, though authorities have not publicly released laboratory findings tying any specific item to Sheppard’s death.

After being advised of her rights, Troncoso gave investigators a statement, police said. The affidavit alleges that she admitted shooting Sheppard in the face, stabbing him repeatedly and dismembering his body. She also allegedly described wrapping his torso, placing it in a trash bag and taking it to the Baker Street dumpster. The affidavit says she told investigators that she mixed concrete at the Parker Street home to conceal other remains in multiple containers. The account is an allegation contained in a probable-cause document and has not been tested at trial.

Police believe the homicide occurred June 23, one day before they received the tip, although officials said the complete timeline would depend in part on the continuing investigation and medical examination. Authorities have not publicly identified the anonymous source or explained the person’s connection to Troncoso and Sheppard. Reports based on the affidavit said the tipster claimed to have witnessed the violence and disposal activity. Police have not said whether that person could face charges, is being treated as a witness or has received any form of protection.

The investigation widened June 25 with the arrest of Troncoso’s father, Mario Valdes Troncoso Jr., 54. He was charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in connection with the alleged concealment and disposal of Sheppard’s remains. A separate affidavit alleges that Audrey Troncoso called her father because she could not move the torso alone. Police said he helped load it and place it in the apartment-complex dumpster, then showed his daughter how to mix concrete used to conceal other remains.

The father is not accused in the available records of participating in Sheppard’s killing. His charge concerns conduct alleged to have happened afterward. The affidavit says he knew a homicide had occurred but did not report it to police. It also alleges that he lived at the apartment complex where the torso was discarded. Those claims have not been proved in court, and publicly available reporting did not establish whether he or his daughter had entered pleas or retained attorneys authorized to comment on their behalf.

The recovery effort continued at the Republic Services landfill at 3002 Old Ballinger Highway. Police said portions of Sheppard’s remains were found there and traced to the Baker Street dumpster. Griffith praised investigators and sanitation workers for locating the correct truck and preserving its contents. Without that intervention, evidence might have been spread through the landfill or mixed with other waste. The chief said the initial information was unusually detailed and allowed detectives to move quickly from an anonymous report to physical evidence and a search warrant.

Griffith described the killing as one of the most violent homicides San Angelo investigators had handled in recent memory. He also emphasized that police did not believe there was a continuing danger to the public. At the time of the arrests, officials said the case was the city’s sixth homicide of 2026. The chief acknowledged that investigators had a possible theory about why Sheppard was killed but said they would not release a motive until detectives could verify it through evidence and interviews.

Several important questions remain unanswered. Police have not said when Sheppard was last known to be alive, whether neighbors reported hearing gunfire or a disturbance, or whether investigators recovered video from the Parker or Baker Street areas. Officials also have not released an autopsy report, a complete inventory of evidence or the results of firearms, DNA and tool-mark testing. No public statement has detailed whether all of Sheppard’s remains were recovered, although authorities said the search and identification work were continuing.

Troncoso was booked into the Tom Green County Jail on a murder charge with bond set at $2 million, according to police and the county’s inmate roster. Her father’s bond was reported at $100,000 on the evidence-tampering charge. Both are presumed innocent unless proved guilty. Police said the homicide inquiry remained active and that further information would be released when investigators could do so without harming the case.

Author note: Last updated July 23, 2026.