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Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca's murder shocked her family and community, leaving a lasting impact. She was tragically killed by her boyfriend, Jonnathan Jara-Aucapina, who tried to mislead authorities and her family about his crime.
Her story has been featured on the Crime Junkie podcast, shedding light on the tragic events and the subsequent investigation. The episode titled Murdered: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca aired on December 16.
Five key facts about Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca's murder
1) The disappearance of Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca
The last known date and time of seeing Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca was on the morning of July 1, 2020. It was during this time that her boyfriend, Jonnathan Jara-Aucapina, reported her disappearance to the police, claiming he left for work at approximately 3:15 a.m., and when he came back, she was not around.
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He said she left when he went to work, adding nothing about any quarrel.
However, when the investigation started, it was clear his story did not add up. Surveillance footage, mobile records, and other evidence stood in contradiction to his claims.
For instance, it revealed that he had been operating Lizzbeth's car hours after he claimed that she had vanished. These contradictory claims raised suspicion and flipped the focus of the case toward Jara-Aucapina.
2) Jara-Aucapina's Lies and False
After Lizzbeth was gone, Jara-Aucapina's actions only added to suspicion. Trying to cover his crime by providing false information to the police and Lizzbeth's family, he said to the police that Lizzbeth had left for Mexico.
He fabricated a story about having gotten married there to "straighten out her papers".
The investigators found out afterward that Lizzbeth had not planned to travel to Mexico. Moreover, Jara-Aucapina lied to the police and Lizzbeth's family about what happened to her.
He even managed to mislead the investigation in a way that was meant to divert suspicion away from himself.
3) Finding Lizzbeth's body
The breakthrough in the case came when authorities discovered Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca's body. The cadaver dog alerted the police to a shallow grave located behind a restaurant in Branford, Connecticut, where Jara-Aucapina worked.
The body was found buried near the dumpsters of the restaurant, and it confirmed the worst fears of Lizzbeth's family.
The autopsy revealed that she died of homicidal asphyxia, which meant that she was suffocated. It was later found that Jara-Aucapina had buried her body there to cover up his crime.
4) Evidence that tied Jara-Aucapina to the murder
The evidence against Jara-Aucapina mounted quickly after the discovery of Lizzbeth's body. Surveillance footage placed him near the scene of the crime, and cellphone records indicate his presence at locations consistent with the murder.
His attempts to cover his tracks only made things worse. Within hours of Lizzbeth's death, Jara-Aucapina was seen buying a hoe and shovel at a local Home Depot, tools he most likely used to bury her body.
It was further discovered that Jara-Aucapina had indeed driven Lizzbeth's Lexus after her disappearance. The investigators were, therefore, able to draw a very direct connection between Jara-Aucapina and the murder and had him arrested and put behind bars.
5) Jara-Aucapina's Conviction and Sentence
After an investigation, Jonnathan Jara-Aucapina was taken into custody and charged with Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca's murder. He pleaded guilty to the crime in February 2024 and received a 25-year prison sentence.
Currently, he is serving his sentence at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield, Connecticut.
During his sentencing, the enforcement was commended by the authorities for a job well done in closing the case, stating how important the work of such officers was in ensuring justice would be served. Lizzbeth's family, though hurting from losing her, had some hope in knowing Jara-Aucapina was responsible for his deeds.
For more details about the case, tune into The Crime Junkie podcast episode titled Murdered: Lizzbeth Aleman-Popoca. It was released on December 16, 2024.
