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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News AP Entertainment Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 13, 2007 Since You Asked Whatever happened with the Ana Meraz murder case? Was anybody ever charged? -- Rebecca Q., via e-mail Former Phoenix resident Jose Perez Silva is the official suspect in the 2005 murder but remains on the run. Perez is suspected of killing Meraz, 32, on Interstate 5 near Ashland. She called 9-1-1 at about 6 a.m. on the morning of May 3, requesting urgent medical attention before an unidentified man took the phone and said he had stopped to assist Meraz after seeing her vehicle weaving in traffic. OSP troopers and medics located Meraz's bleeding body lying beside her idling Chrysler Sebring convertible on the freeway's southbound shoulder near milepost 11. Police said she died moments later but have not revealed the exact cause and manner of her demise. She and Perez were acquainted through a local church, said Jackson County sheriff's Sgt. Colin Fagan. Advertisement A motorist might have unknowingly helped Perez flee the area by giving him a ride to his Fern Valley Road home. Investigators later recovered his green 1985 Nissan Pathfinder in Central California. The Jackson County District Attorney's Office indicted Perez in November 2005, and a warrant has since been out for his arrest, according to Jackson County Circuit Court records. Police said they believed the 31-year-old fled to Mexico within a week of Meraz's murder. If Perez has returned to the United States, it would be easy for him to avoid attention because he would be here illegally, said Oregon State Police Detective Blain Allen. "It's one of the major things we're working on," Allen said. "We are making huge efforts." Crime Stoppers of Southern Oregon has offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Perez. Anyone wishing to provide information about the suspect's location can call 800-3-DETECT. Callers can remain anonymous. People with information about the case are also asked to phone OSP at 776-6111. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com