On the evening of June 18, 2025, a haunting discovery in a field just north of Wichita Falls cast a long shadow over the quiet region near Cashion Road and Carriage Lane. The lifeless body of 28-year-old Keren Martinez Ballesteros lay in that open stretch of grass, bearing unmistakable signs of a violent end. What followed would reveal not just a homicide investigation, but the grim story of an intimate relationship marred by fear, control, and ultimately, fatal violence. Within 24 hours, police had arrested 20-year-old Matison Johnathan Preville, Jr.—the man suspected of ending Ballesteros’s life with a shotgun blast. He now sits in the Wichita County Jail on a $1 million bond, charged with her murder.
This tragic case has not only galvanized public attention across Wichita Falls, but also reignited critical conversations around domestic violence, femicide, and the chilling red flags that often precede such irreversible outcomes. Through every statement, surveillance timestamp, and digital trail, a chilling portrait has emerged—one that paints Ballesteros’s final days as filled with dread, doubt, and a possible attempt to break free from a dangerously volatile relationship.
A Gruesome Discovery in the Shadows of Wichita Falls
The scene where Keren Martinez Ballesteros was found on June 18 was stark in its brutality. The field near Cashion Road and Carriage Lane, typically nondescript and undisturbed, had been transformed into the site of an active homicide investigation. According to Sgt. Brett Keith of the Wichita Falls Police Department (WFPD), her body bore a visible chest wound. But it was the discovery of a shotgun shell wad—lodged within her clothing—that immediately shifted the investigation’s direction from a missing person case to a confirmed murder.
The presence of the shell wad served as compelling physical evidence that Ballesteros had been shot at close range. Unlike spent cartridges that might fall to the ground, a shell wad embedded in fabric often indicates a direct impact, a forceful discharge with lethal proximity. The WFPD’s Crimes Against Persons Unit took the lead, quickly transforming what was once a search effort into a manhunt for a killer.
The Vanishing: Tracing the Final Days of Keren Martinez Ballesteros
Ballesteros was first reported missing on Tuesday, June 17—just one day before her body was found. The report came from a concerned friend who had grown alarmed after several days of silence. According to this friend, the last known plan Ballesteros had mentioned was a visit to her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Matison Johnathan Preville, Jr., at his apartment in Mustang Village, a student-oriented complex known to many in the community.
The timeline surrounding her disappearance would later become a critical focal point in the investigation. The friend who contacted authorities emphasized her concern not just because of Ballesteros’s silence, but also due to a troubling history between the couple. Their relationship, described as unstable and abusive, had reportedly seen frequent turbulence. The implications were chilling: this wasn’t a mere case of missed texts or broken plans—something far more sinister was unfolding.
Preville’s Discrepancies: Mismatched Timelines and Detached Responses
When police first questioned Preville, his responses immediately drew attention for their inconsistencies and tone. He told officers that he hadn’t seen Ballesteros since Thursday, June 12—several days before she was last reported to be with him. More striking than the timeline, however, was his emotional detachment. Officers noted that he showed an unusual lack of concern when informed she was missing, even referring to her in the past tense before correcting himself—a subtle but alarming linguistic slip that raised suspicions.
Text messages provided by Preville showed him telling Ballesteros he was “on his way” to pick her up on June 14. He claimed they never met up. But this narrative quickly unraveled when a roommate of Ballesteros informed police she had seen her leave with Preville on that very day. That discrepancy alone may have been enough to cast doubt, but the context of their volatile relationship only deepened the implications.
Further fueling investigators’ concerns was a peculiar comment Preville made during a second interview. When recounting his last supposed interaction with Ballesteros on June 12, during which they allegedly went grocery shopping, he abruptly stated, “I don’t want no kids running around this place.” At the time, officers had already received a separate statement from Ballesteros’s friend suggesting she may have been pregnant. Though unconfirmed, the possibility introduces a devastating layer of motive—one that investigators would not ignore.
Digital Forensics: Surveillance and Cell Phone Evidence Build the Case
One of the most damning elements in modern criminal investigations is digital evidence. In this case, the combined use of surveillance footage and cell phone tracking painted a virtually irrefutable timeline of movements for both Ballesteros and Preville.
Security cameras from a nearby home captured Preville’s truck pulling up to Ballesteros’s residence. A figure matching her description entered the vehicle before it drove away. Their cell phone records revealed a synchronized journey through Wichita Falls, ultimately leading to the Cashion area where her body was later found. Notably, both phones stopped moving and remained stationary at the same location for a significant period of time—a geolocation match that investigators believe corresponds to the time of her death.
In modern homicide investigations, such coordinated data from multiple independent sources—visual surveillance, digital timestamps, GPS triangulation—carries immense weight. It essentially undermines any alibi not supported by empirical evidence and provides investigators with near minute-by-minute confirmation of critical events.
A Pattern of Power and Control: Domestic Violence Implications
Everything about this case—its chronology, its emotional context, its ultimate conclusion—reads like a textbook example of intimate partner violence (IPV). Though Preville is only 20 years old, the statements and behavior documented by police point to a disturbing pattern of possessiveness, manipulation, and escalating aggression.
Ballesteros, described by friends as increasingly wary of her ex-boyfriend, appears to have been trying to distance herself. The suggestion that she may have been pregnant could have intensified the emotional volatility within their relationship. Preville’s dismissive attitude about children, juxtaposed with a missing woman who may have been carrying his child, adds a potential psychological motive rooted in fear, denial, or rage.
Statistically, women are at greatest risk of being killed by a partner in the process of leaving or shortly after ending a relationship. That pattern tragically fits Ballesteros’s case. Moreover, domestic violence experts often point to early warning signs—emotional detachment, attempts to isolate the victim, and inconsistent narratives—as precursors to fatal outcomes. These elements are present throughout this investigation.
The Arrest: Rapid Charges and the $1 Million Bond
On Thursday, June 19—just one day after Ballesteros was found—Wichita Falls police arrested Preville and formally charged him with murder. The rapid progression from discovery to arrest was the result of swift coordination between patrol units, the Crimes Against Persons Unit, and forensic analysts. That efficiency reflects both the strength of the evidence and the department’s prioritization of crimes against women.
Preville now remains incarcerated in the Wichita County Jail under a $1 million bond. The severity of the charge, combined with the weight of the digital and testimonial evidence, suggests that prosecutors will pursue the case aggressively. Whether he will face additional charges—such as those related to firearms, potential false statements, or pregnancy-related considerations—remains to be seen, pending the investigation’s full findings.
Ongoing Investigation: Forensics, Autopsy, and Psychological Evaluation
The homicide investigation is far from complete. An autopsy will likely confirm the exact cause of death and determine whether Ballesteros was indeed pregnant at the time—a revelation that could significantly affect sentencing if Preville is convicted. The autopsy may also uncover other injuries, evidence of restraint, or toxicology data that could offer further insight into her final moments.
Investigators will also examine the shotgun used in the killing, if recovered, to match shell ballistics to the wound and shell wad discovered in her dress. Ballistic forensics will form a critical link in establishing both means and opportunity. Meanwhile, prosecutors may request a psychological evaluation of Preville, especially given his contradictory statements and emotionally flat responses.
A Community Confronts Its Crisis
For the Wichita Falls community, this is more than just another crime statistic. It is a devastating loss of life that leaves a young woman’s family shattered and a city reckoning with the deadly consequences of intimate partner violence. The field where Ballesteros was found has become an impromptu memorial site, as residents leave flowers, candles, and messages of grief.
Domestic violence organizations have used the moment to amplify calls for better protective systems—such as restraining order enforcement, emergency housing for victims, and educational outreach about the dangers of returning to abusive partners. For many advocates, the tragedy of Ballesteros’s death is a chilling reminder that too many red flags are still missed, too many cries for help unanswered.
A Final Reflection: Justice and Memory
Keren Martinez Ballesteros was not just a victim. She was a daughter, a friend, possibly a mother-to-be, and a woman whose future was stolen in a single, violent act. Her death, now tied irrevocably to the name of Matison Johnathan Preville, Jr., is a grim illustration of how quickly a troubled relationship can spiral into irreversible catastrophe.
As investigators continue to build their case, and as Preville faces the legal system, the community awaits justice—not just for Ballesteros, but for every woman caught in the cycle of coercion, manipulation, and abuse. Her story has already become a symbol, a point of reckoning for Wichita Falls. And while the investigation is not yet over, the message it leaves behind is tragically clear: the cost of ignoring intimate partner violence is measured in lives lost.