Body found in backyard of SW Austin home identified
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department has released the identity of the person whose body was found in the backyard of a Southwest Austin home.
32-year-old Nicklas Kinslow's body was found at home in the 5800 block of Mojave Drive.
Police say on August 18 at around 8:42 p.m. that a 9-1-1 call was received regarding a body that was buried in the backyard of a residence.
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Officers and detectives arrived and made contact with the residents of the home and received permission to look through the house. They say when they looked in the backyard there appeared to be an area where a body could have been buried. The officers secured the location and a search warrant was obtained.
The search began the next day on August 19 and Kinslow's body was found.
Police say the death is being treated as suspicious and Walker Ray Kaatz and Kristie Cardenas have been arrested for second-degree felony tampering with physical evidence.
Kristie Cardenas (Guadalupe County Jail)
According to a warrant, a woman called APD and said that she had visited Cardenas at a home on Mojave Drive where a man was buried in the backyard.
The woman also reported that Cardenas told her "it happened" inside the house and that Kaatz had shown her drag marks where they removed the body from the home and told her they had "bleached" the marks, says the warrant.
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The woman spoke with officers and according to the warrant, told them that Cardenas said during her visit that she had paid to get the man out of jail and when he was released, he had assaulted her.
Cardenas then showed the woman a concrete mass in the shape of a body surrounded by cinder blocks in the backyard, according to the warrant, where he was reportedly buried.
The next day, officers and a homicide detective visited the home and spoke with Kaatz and Cardenas. The detective informed Cardenas that APD had received the tip about the body, but she denied speaking to anyone, says the warrant.
(Austin Police Department)
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The detective spoke with Kaatz, who told him that he had seen the man assault Cardenas several times since he was released from jail about two weeks prior, including strangling and dragging her by the hair.
According to the warrant, Kaatz gave officers consent to search the home and in the backyard, the detective found the concrete mass and cinder block area in the backyard, also noting a large bottle of lighter fluid on top of a cinder block and pile of an unknown burnt substance on top of the concrete mass.
Walker Kaatz (Austin Police Department)
According to court records, Kaatz is scheduled to be in court on two other charges: unlawful carrying of a weapon and driving while intoxicated.
Detectives are asking anyone with video/photos of the incident to call APD Homicide at 512-974-TIPS, the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 512-472-8477 (TIPS), use the new Crime Stoppers App, or email APD Homicide at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov. You may remain anonymous. You can also submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, free on iPhone and Android.