Deputies said the wrecked vehicle had been bought at auction outside Harris County and delivered for repairs.
HOUSTON, TX — Harris County homicide detectives are investigating after two adult men were found dead Saturday morning in the back of a minivan at an Aldine-area auto body shop, authorities said.
The deaths drew investigators to a business property at 13626 Reeveston Road, near West Hardy Road and the Hardy Toll Road, after a 911 caller reported the discovery. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said deputies, EMS, homicide detectives and crime scene investigators responded as workers and witnesses were interviewed.
Deputies were sent to the property around 9 a.m. Saturday after employees at the shop noticed a foul odor coming from the minivan, officials said. The workers then found the two bodies in the rear of the vehicle. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in an early public update that deputies had found two men dead inside a vehicle and that homicide detectives and crime scene investigators were at the location. Investigators later said the men appeared to be in the early stages of decomposition.
The minivan had arrived at the repair shop Friday afternoon, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives said it had been brought there by a tow or transport vehicle after being purchased at an auction outside Harris County. The new owner sent the vehicle to the business because it was wrecked and could not be driven, investigators said. Sgt. Michael Ritchie said deputies believed the bodies had been decomposing for more than 24 hours before they were discovered.
Authorities had not released the names of the men as of Sunday. Detectives also had not announced a cause or manner of death. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences removed the bodies from the scene, and autopsies were expected to help determine how the men died. Investigators said they were still working to confirm the men’s identities before relatives could be notified.
The case now centers in part on the chain of custody for the minivan. Detectives are trying to find and interview the driver who delivered the vehicle to the shop, officials said. Investigators want to learn where the minivan was before it arrived on Reeveston Road and how the two men ended up inside. No arrests or charges had been announced, and officials had not said whether the deaths were being investigated as homicides, accidents or another type of death investigation.
The discovery brought a large law enforcement response to the industrial area in north Harris County, where repair businesses and transport vehicles are common. Crime scene workers processed the minivan and the surrounding property while deputies gathered statements from people at the shop. Officials said the vehicle’s auction history, transport records and any available witness accounts could help establish the timeline before the bodies were found.
As of Sunday, the investigation remained active. Detectives were awaiting autopsy findings, working to identify the men and seeking more information about the minivan’s movements before it arrived at the Aldine-area repair shop.
Author note: Last updated June 21, 2026.