Mother of Frankie Gonzales Facing Capital Murder Charges

Frankie Gonzales' body was found in a dumpster back on June 2, 2020 after his mother reported him missing. Now she's facing capital murder charges.

According to a report from our news partners at KWTX, Laura Sanchez, 35, has recently been indicted for capital murder and injury to a child in the case of her son's death.

Laura initially reported that the 28-month-old went missing in Cameron Park on June 1, but after the police and the community began searching for Frankie, Laura changed her story. Sanchez told her family that she found her son unresponsive in his bed on May 28, and afterwards moved him to the closet. Just two days later, Sanchez moved Frankie's body into a trash can behind a church in Waco.

While Frankie was unable to tell his own story, an autopsy confirmed the worst. Frankie's autopsy shows that he had suffered multiple injuries from a broken arm, ribs, and multiple bruises. Officials say that Frankie's death was the "result of homicidal violence, including blunt force trauma,” and says such additional injuries as smothering “or other forms of asphyxiation” cannot be ruled out.

Initially Sanchez was only charged with injury to a child, but as authorities further investigated the case, it became clear that Frankie's mother meant him intentional harm. Frankie's father, Lorenzo Gonzales,  has also been charged with injury to a child, plus child abandonment.

Lorenzo was responsible for not leaving the children alone in Sanchez's care, as he and the state were aware that she was a possible threat to her children. On the day of Frankie's death, Lorenzo left the young boy in the care of Sanchez as he went to work.

Currently both Sanchez and Gonzales are incarcerated in the McLennan County Jail. Frankie's two siblings have been placed in state custody.