On Sunday, March 2, 2025, at approximately 12:31 p.m., Kaufman Police Department officers responded to a report of a body found in a creek near the 1900 block of East Highway 175, between the Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office and Numo Manufacturing.
The body was wearing clothing similar to what missing person Rigoberto Badillo was last seen wearing on January 19, 2025. A tattoo on the hand also appeared to match a description linked to Badillo.
49-year-old Rigoberto Paz Badillo of Farmers Branch had been missing since January 19, 2025, after he was released from Kaufman County Detention Center. He had been arrested on the 13th for a DWI.
Kaufman County Justice of the Peace M. Bardin pronounced the individual deceased at the scene. The body was transported to the Dallas County Medical Examiner’s Office as a John Doe for further identification and determination of the cause of death.
The missing person case for Badillo remains open while authorities await confirmation of the body’s identity. The investigation into both the missing person case and the discovery of the body will continue pending the Medical Examiner’s findings.
UPDATE: The Dallas County Medical Examiner has confirmed the identification of the body found to be Rigoberto Badillo.
