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Police ID San Antonio man found decomposing under concrete slab at Austin house

Body of Nicklas Kinslow, 32, was recovered from backyard

Nicklas Kinslow, 32, of San Antonio, was found dead in the backyard of an Austin home on Aug. 19, 2020. His body was found decomposing under a slab of concrete. (Guadalupe County Jail)

A San Antonio man whose body was found decomposing under a slab of concrete in a backyard in Austin has been identified.

Nicklas Kinslow, 32, was found dead on Wednesday after a cadaver dog alerted police to the odor of decomposition, police said. His body was transported to The Travis County Medical Examiner’s office.

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His death is being treated as suspicious, police said, and the cause of his death is pending from the medical examiner’s office.

Police received the tip about Kinslow’s body on Aug. 17, when a woman said she had information about the suspected death of a San Antonio man.

Persons of interest have been identified in the case, and two people have been charged with tampering with physical evidence, a second-degree felony.

Read also: Man found dead in 18-wheeler rollover crash had gunshot wound, police say

Walker Ray Kaatz, 22, and Kristie Cardenas, 36, were arrested Wednesday and their bonds were set at $100,000 each, online booking records show. Cardenas was booked in Guadalupe County and Kaatz was booked in Travis County.

The affidavit states the caller told police she was visiting her friend, Cardenas, in the 5800 block of Mojave Drive when she 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.

Walker Kaatz, 22, is charged with tampering with evidence. (Austin Police Department)
Kristie Michelle Cardenas is charged with tampering with evidence. Image: Guadalupe County Jail (KSAT)

The caller told police that Cardenas had recently bailed Kinslow 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.

Detectives are asking for anyone with video of photos of the incident to call the Austin Crime Stoppers tip line at 512-974-TIPS (8477).

Austin police arrested a man after finding a decomposing body under a slab of concrete (KSAT)

About the Authors
Rebecca Salinas headshot

Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.

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