New evidence found at Everman home in search for missing 6‑year‑old boy, Tarrant County District Attorney says

New evidence was discovered as crews on Wednesday continued searching the Everman home where 6‑year‑old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez was last seen more than three years ago, Tarrant County District Attorney Phil Sorrells confirmed.

In an interview with CBS News Texas, Sorrells said investigators had clearly found something, though its significance wasn't yet clear.

"Clearly there was some evidence that was found, but exactly what it is, that remains to be seen," Sorrells said.  

Rodriguez-Alvarez was last accounted for in October 2022, but his family did not report him missing until March 2023.

The investigation ramped up during Day No. 3 of the search at the home along Wisteria Drive in Everman. Yellow crime scene tape surrounded the property, and additional law enforcement and crime scene units joined the search on Wednesday. Helicopter footage showed crews concentrating on a hole in the backyard.  

The boy's mother, Cindy Rodriguez Singh, has been charged with capital murder in connection with his disappearance. She is being temporarily held in the Tarrant County Jail while she awaits transfer to a state hospital after a judge ruled her incompetent.

DA says case is advancing steadily

The Tarrant County district attorney expressed confidence that the investigation is closing in on the truth. 

"I do have high hopes that we're going to get that evidence," Sorrells said. "Cindy Rodriguez Singh thought that she got rid of all the evidence. I don't think that's going to be the case. We're going to track it all down. She thought she got away with killing her own child and fled to India. We went and got her. She thought she was free from this, but she was wrong."

Sorrells added that returning to the home after three years was only one part of a broader investigative effort. He said the search extends far beyond that location and that investigators are determined to pursue every possible lead. 

"We're not just looking there," Sorrells said. "We're looking anywhere that will help our case. We're going to track it down because we've got her in our sights, and we're not going to let her go."

Defense questions strength of state's case

Rodriguez-Singh's defense attorney, Bob Gill, said the case is still in its early stages and emphasized that his client is presumed innocent. 

"Cindy is presumed to be not guilty of any criminal offense, that we're still, I think, in the very early stages of the case," Gill said.

Gill said Rodriguez-Singh is currently in jail receiving mental health treatment after a judge found her incompetent to stand trial in April. He said most defendants in similar situations eventually regain competency. 

"I will tell you that, in the vast majority of cases, the competency restoration program and the state hospitals will regain someone's competence," Gill said.

Gill also questioned the strength of the state's case, pointing to the ongoing investigation years after the charge was filed. "They have a huge hole in their case," Gill said. "They have charged someone with murder, and they can't say that there has been a murder that's been committed."

He added, "Because the supposed body of the young child has not been found."

Crews dig under former concrete slab

Aerial footage showed investigators digging in the backyard with excavators and shovels. Four canopies were set up side by side on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, two had been moved.

Crews from the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, and the FBI were on site.

Current residents displaced during search

The family now living in the home has been staying at a hotel since Monday and has not been allowed back inside. Amber Duffins has lived there with her mother and 3‑year‑old daughter for the past year and a half.

"It's like watching CSI or something. It's very real with the FBI. The medical examiner was here. We had the City of Everman, the old mayor, they all were here. It's a really big, serious crime," Duffins said.

Duffins said the search hits close to home.

"It's sad. I do therapy for kids with autism, and hearing that he was autistic and disabled, it's like you are supposed to protect them," Duffins said. "I have a daughter myself, so it's just hurtful. My heart goes out to the little boy. He didn't deserve any of this. He's innocent, so I just hope they can find closure for him."

Duffins said this is not the first time investigators have searched the property, but this time they are focusing on the area where a concrete slab once stood.