Austin police arrested a man on Thursday after finding a decomposing body under a slab of concrete in the man’s backyard, according to an arrest affidavit.
Walker Ray Kaatz, is charged with tampering with physical evidence, a second-degree felony. His bail is set at $100,000, according to his arrest warrant.
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On Tuesday, Austin police received a call from a woman who said she had information about a San Antonio man’s suspected death. The identity of the victim has not yet been released as authorities work to notify the victim’s family.
The woman told police she was visiting her friend in the 5800 block of Mojave Drive when her friend told her about the man she and Kaatz buried outside the home. Kaatz even “pointed out drag marks” where the parts of the floor they bleached after his death, according to the affidavit.
The caller told police that her friend had recently bailed her boyfriend, the victim, out of jail, and that he began assaulting her, according to the affidavit.
The friend led the woman to a “concrete mass” outside the home that was “in the shape of the body.”
Detectives found the makeshift grave in the backyard, according to the affidavit, surrounded by cinderblocks.
On Wednesday, authorities executed a search warrant for the home. During the search, a cadaver dog alerted police to the odor of decomposition, according to the affidavit.
Kaatz’s father told police that his son has asked him for a ride to the bank so that he could withdraw money, purchase a vehicle and leave town, according to the affidavit.
Austin police are also seeking to arrest the victim’s ex-girlfriend, Kristie Cardenas, on tampering with evidence charges. She has not yet been arrested as of Thursday.