Eric Cosme: Source: Saline County Sheriffs Office

Last Updated 4/11/2023, 12:15 pm

A jury trial has been tentatively set for August 15th and August 16th of 2023 at 8:45 am. Cosme’s bond is currently set at $750,000 (Up from his original bond of $50,000 that was initially set in June of 2021) and he remains incarcerated at the Saline County Detention Center in Benton.

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Guadalupe Bautista was found floating in Lorance Creek off of Highway 367 in Saline County on July 30th, 2013. Guadalupe had been strangled and her death was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.

Special Agent Michael Garlington spoke with Bautista’s boyfriend at the time, Eric Cosme. Guadalupe’s vehicle was found parked at his home on Colonel Glenn Road. Cosme told Garlington that Guadalupe had left her vehicle at his home as “collateral” for money she had borrowed that day which happened to be Cosme’s birthday.

On July 31st SA Garlington was notified by Cosme’s roommate that Cosme had left the state of Arkansas.

On September 10th, 2018 SA Garlington was notified of a CODIS hit. Eric Cosme’s DNA had been found under the right fingernails of Guadalupe.

On July 8th, 2019 investigators interviewed Eric Cosme at the Mecklenberg County Detention Center and voluntarily gave a DNA sample. The DNA was submitted the next day.

On August 13, 2019 the Arkansas State Crime Lab confirmed that Eric Cosme’s DNA was a match for the DNA found under Guadalupe’s fingernails.

Charges were formally filed in January of 2021. The prosecutor then began to prepare to extradite Cosme back to Arkansas.

Cosme was released on a $50,000 bond on June 28th, 2021. In November of 2021 Cosme was arrested in North Carolina for breaking and entering, communicating threats, kidnapping, assault on a female, and assault with a deadly weapon. The prosecutor then filed to have his bond revoked.

Cosme was booked into Saline County on March 6th, 2023. Today marks 9 years, 7 months, and 8 days since Guadalupe was found floating in Lorance Creek. Hats off to SA Garlington who continued to work this case for the better part of a decade.