Assistant District Attorney dies after serving Uvalde, Real counties

UVALDE, Texas — Erin Marie Benavides, a former assistant district attorney who served Uvalde and Real counties, died Oct. 14 in Port Aransas.

According to the Port Aransas Police Department, officers responded about 7:34 p.m. to a welfare concern in the 200 block of West Oaks Avenue. Officers found Benavides dead inside a residence with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said no foul play is suspected, but the investigation remains active.

Benavides served Uvalde and Real counties from January 2023 through August 2026, the 38th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a Facebook post. She worked with the office’s Border Prosecution Unit, managing a heavy caseload focused on pending human smuggling cases.