Houston family demands answers after missing man’s body found in burned vehicle in Spring

The family of a missing father of 8 is demanding answers after his remains were discovered in a burned vehicle that was towed to an auto storage lot days after firefighters initially responded to the scene.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the skeletal remains found in a burned vehicle towed to an auto storage lot located at 20603 Rhodes rd. on Tuesday belong to 44-year-old Winsolon Trahan, a Spring man who was reported missing on Sept. 30. Harris County Constable Precinct 4 took on the missing person’s case.

KPRC 2′s Corley Peel spoke with Trahan’s wife, Cameilia Trahan, about the day she reported him missing.

“He called as normal; he said he would be home shortly. He never arrived,” Trahan said. “We started calling his phone. He was going straight to voicemail. He started texting. They were delivering, but he wasn’t reading them. So that was a red flag. Regardless of any situation, he’s always going to make it home no later than midnight and definitely going to be there to take the kids to school.”

Authorities said Trahan was last seen near Ella Blvd. and State Hwy. 249, driving a gray 2016 Buick Lacrosse with Texas license plate TBY5852. According to investigators, his vehicle was later tracked to the Hampton/Beckley St. area in Houston, but all contact with him was lost.

Then on Oct. 1, Firefighters responded to a call about a car on fire at a construction site between Ella Blvd. and Montgomery Rd. The area is on the Houston and Harris County line. When the fire was extinguished, the vehicle—later identified as Trahan’s Buick—was left at the scene.

The Harris County Fire Marshals office said arson investigators thought the remains were a dog and the Medical Examiner’s office was not notified. Fire Marshal officials said the car was towed within 24 hours. At that point, no one knew the car belonged to a missing person. Trahan was not aware her husband’s car had been found but chose to contact his dealership, hoping to find a clue.

“A red light came over my head and said, let’s see if the car dealership has a tracker on his car, so he called the car dealership,” said Trahan.

The tracker took Trahan’s family to the construction site, but it was too late.

“When his cousin discovered the area, there were burn marks, but the car was gone,” said Trahan.

Trahan contacted police, but she said she got the runaround after there was confusion over jurisdictions and which agency was on the case. At that point, her husband was still considered a missing person. Her family continued searching on their own.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies say the car was towed to an auto storage lot off Rhoades Rd. On Tuesday, the owner called the Sheriff’s Office, letting them know that a burnt car was in the lot.

A deputy showed up and discovered that the vehicle belonged to a missing person with a Nation Identification Center number on it. A supervisor noticed a smell and contacted the medical examiner, who ultimately discovered the remains.

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Division was contacted. Trahan said a loved one contacted her about the crime scene after seeing the discovery on the news. She immediately went to the scene where she learned, the remains belonged to her husband.

“For eight days we were looking for him, and he was in the car the whole time. I don’t understand,” said Trahan.

Now that HCSO homicide detectives are on the case, Trahan is confident they will find her husband’s killer.

“I don’t know who would want to hurt him,” she continued. “He is a father every single day. He is a son. He’s a husband. That’s what I would want that person to know. What did he do to you so bad that you ignited a flame and burned him to the point that we’re still trying to piece it together? We can’t give him a proper burial because of what they did. So, if we’ve just been reaching out to every platform to see if anybody knows anything.”

The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office told Corley that this case has prompt changes in how they handle investigations. To rectify the situation, the Fire Marshal’s Office said from now on they will contact the Medical Examiner’s Office to investigate any time remains are found, regardless of if they believe it could be an animal.

At this time, no suspects have been identified. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Harris County Sheriff’s Office or Crimestoppers. To report, you’re asked to call 713-222-TIPS (8477) or go online.


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