Texas authorities say the remains of 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez were found and identified years after he vanished in 2022. His mother, Cindy Rodriguez Singh, was later indicted on capital murder charges, fled to India, was arrested and extradited in 202
When the search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez began in Texas in 2023, the family’s neighborhood in Everman lived with a question that never stopped hurting. Years later, that question has a grim answer.
Authorities have found and identified Noel’s remains, the FBI’s Dallas field office and Everman police said. The discovery was made during an excavation at the home where he once lived in Everman, a city of about 6,500 residents just outside Fort Worth.
Noel was last seen in October 2022 and was reported missing months later in March 2023, authorities said. For years, he had been presumed dead, but his body was never found until now. The FBI said his identity was confirmed using dental records.
The case has become inseparable from what investigators say happened behind closed doors. Noel. who had developmental and physical disabilities. was believed to have suffered abuse and neglect before his death. the FBI said. Authorities say his mother failed to provide appropriate care for issues including chronic lung disease, pulmonary edema, and esotropia.
Cindy Rodriguez Singh, 41, has been at the center of the investigation. She was indicted for capital murder, and authorities say she fled the country for India during the investigation into Noel’s disappearance, along with the boy’s stepfather and six of her other children.
Rodriguez Singh was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitive list. In 2025, she was found, arrested, and extradited back to the United States, officials said. The case took another turn in April 2026, when the FBI said she was found incompetent to stand trial and was ordered to a state hospital.
Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells said in a statement, “This case has weighed heavily on our community from the beginning. Noel was a child whose life mattered. He deserved protection, care, and love. Instead, he became the victim of an unthinkable crime.”
Officials say Noel was last seen in October 2022 at a hospital when Rodriguez Singh gave birth to twins. Investigators previously said he appeared unhealthy at the time. In March 2023. police went to the family’s home to check on him at the request of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Two days after being questioned, authorities say Rodriguez Singh, her husband, and six children boarded a flight to India.
Rodriguez Singh was accused not just of causing Noel’s death, but of other acts authorities say left him vulnerable. The FBI said she was charged with capital murder, two counts of injury to a child, and one count of abandoning without the intent to return.
Investigators also pointed to a troubling history before this disappearance. The FBI previously said Rodriguez Singh had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and that her children had been placed into foster care previously.
Now, with Noel’s remains identified, the long wait that followed his disappearance ends in confirmation rather than resolution for the family left searching. The legal case, meanwhile, continues to be shaped by the most recent court determination about Rodriguez Singh’s ability to stand trial.
Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez Everman Texas FBI missing child capital murder Cindy Rodriguez Singh Most Wanted Fugitive dental records identification extradited 2025 incompetency April 2026 Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells