Stacey Dramiga’s killer remains on the run a year after her death on the Salado Creek hiking trail.
SAN ANTONIO — September 22, 2024 is the day that changed everything for the Dramiga family.
It’s the day 63-year-old Stacey Dramiga parked her car at Covington County Park on Rigsby and went for a walk on the Salado Creek trail and never returned home.
Today, one year later, her killer remains at large and there are more questions than answers about what happened on what was an otherwise peaceful Sunday outdoors.
At the time, investigators said the family became concerned when Dramiga failed to return from her walk, something she regularly enjoyed.
When her car was found in the county park, locked and secured with no damage, family members reached out to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for help.
A CLEAR Alert was issued and investigators asked for help in finding the slight-framed woman who was last seen wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt and dark leggings.
Early the next day, deputies on all-terrain vehicles and horseback, along with K-9s, gathered in the park and began retracing what would have been Dramiga’s normal route, but at the time they said it was her cell phone signal that led to the recovery of her body.
Investigators found the phone and her body in a heavily wooded area just a few feet from the trail. The area where the body was found had been burned.
The area was directly across Salado Creek from Dafoste Park and investigators narrowed down the window of the timing of the attack to around 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, saying they believe Dramiga walked all the way north to Jack White Park on I-35 and she was attacked while walking southbound back towards her car.
As investigators were preparing to leave the crime scene, they detained one man who spoke to them and then tried to run away when they asked him questions about statements he made.
The man was detained for a time, but investigators later said they could not tie him to the murder. He ended up getting credit for time served in jail on a charge of evading arrest or detention.
The Medical Examiner ruled Dramiga’s death a homicide, saying she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
As the investigation progressed, Sheriff Javier Salazar said as word of the murder spread, a number of young women reached out to say they had been chased or followed on the trail, but apparently nothing substantive developed from that information.
Because of criminal activity on the trail in the nearby area, some suggested the crime might be connected to some of the homeless encampments in the zone. In an effort to collect evidence, game cameras were installed both on the trail and in the heavily wooded area where the body was found. Detectives have declined to say if the surveillance yielded any results, but at the one year mark, it appears as if the cameras have been removed from the area and investigators say there is no evidence linking the case to any of the camps.
Investigators said homicide detectives continue to follow up on leads and any details that might assist in identifying a suspect could be of value to the case. They said “due to limited evidence, including a lack of video surveillance and other key items, the investigation remains complex.”
Meanwhile, the trail remains a popular destination for hikers and bikers.
Bridget Imperato visited Covington Park on Rigsby for the first time on Monday and was enthusiastic about the natural beauty, the shade and the sense of peace she found.
“I feel like in order to not be a victim. You have to pay attention,” Imperato said.
She said she has visited other reaches of the trail many times and wherever she goes, safety is always top of mind.
“Like just now there’s a guy that was on this bike and I heard something, but I’m like I don’t want somebody sneaking up on me and I’m paying attention to how I’m walking,” Imperato said, adding “I don’t want to be preyed on because I’m thinking the world’s perfect.”
Imperato said she tries to walk with friends, not only to keep an eye on other people but because there can be wild animals on the trail as well.
She said she has a list of personal protection strategies that she uses, and she is teaching her children.
“I take a buddy. I let someone know where I’m going. If I have earphones or something, then I’ll just have one open so I’m still hearing what’s around me,” Imperator said, adding “I always keep the volume on low so I can still hear because when I run I want to hear like the tempo and like how I’m going, but I won’t have it on so loud that I can’t hear the rustle of leaves or something behind me.”
Being able to access the outdoors is an essential part of a healthy life, Imperato said “If we’re afraid of each other, then you can never have anyone to lean on or talk to, you know? This is community space, like my friend said, ‘Let’s go meet up at the park and go for a walk!'”
Imperato said she plans on returning “We’re holding each other accountable, keeping ourselves healthy, but also having fun doing it in a nice clean area.”
Last October, Crime Stoppers of San Antonio featured the attack and offered a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest. When they still weren’t able to crack the case, the reward was increased to a guaranteed $10,000 in February.
To be eligible for the reward, the tips must be submitted directly to Crime Stoppers by calling 210-224-STOP or by using the P3 app, which is available online. It’s also possible to text CRIMES (274637) and use the code Tip 127 plus tip details.