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Witness says Samuel Olson died more than 2 weeks before body was found, court records show

Theresa Balboa's roommate told police she called him around May 10 and told him that Samuel was dead and he admitted he helped hide the body, court records show.

HOUSTON — Court records obtained by KHOU 11 News paint a disturbing picture of what happened leading up to the disappearance of 6-year-old Samuel Olson.

When Samuel was reported missing on May 27, his father, Dalton Olson, told police his son had been staying with his girlfriend, Theresa Balboa, since April 30. That was also the last day the little boy attended school, according to Cy-Fair ISD.

Police were already suspicious of Balboa because they say she lied and said Samuel’s mother and a man dressed as a police officer took him early that morning.

RELATED: Timeline: What happened to Samuel Olson?

RELATED: 'Every word you're saying is a lie': Texas EquuSearch founder says he confronted Theresa Balboa

On May 28, Detectives interviewed Balboa’s roommate at their apartment in Webster where Samuel had been staying. The roommate told them Balboa called him on or around May 10 and told him that Samuel was dead.

The roommate said he returned home and saw Samuel’s bruised body lying on a bed. He said he and Balboa placed the body in a bathtub for a couple of days.

He admitted he bought duct tape and at plastic bin at Walmart on May 13, according to police. The roommate told detectives he and Balboa wrapped the boy's body in a plastic sheet and put it in the bin. He said they took it to a storage unit at 16650 Highway 3 in Webster.

On June 1, another friend called Crime Stoppers and told them they could find Balboa and Samuel in room 106 at a Best Western Motel in Jasper.

Jasper police found Balboa inside the room and they say she admitted Samuel’s body was inside a box in the room. They found the remains wrapped in a black plastic bag and secured with duct tape. 

Police believe it’s Samuel, but they are waiting for an autopsy to positively identify him. The body was moved to the Harris County Medical Center's Office from Jasper on Thursday, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. 

The man who tipped off Crime Stoppers gave a voluntary statement and admitted he helped Balboa move the body to Jasper. He said she called him on May 31 and said she’d been involved in an altercation. They met at a Walmart in Liberty County, then went to the storage unit in Webster to pick up the box with the body.

The friend drove Balboa to the motel in Webster and booked a room under his name.

After carrying the box inside, he said he drove home and called Crime Stoppers.

Balboa was arrested and charged with tampering with a corpse.




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