Former Texas Prosecutor Erin Benavides Dies at 54

Police said officers went to Benavides’s Port Aransas home at 7:34 p.m. on October 14 after a welfare concern was raised. They found she appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police are investigating her death.

Benavides served as an assistant prosecutor for the 38th Judicial District, which covers Uvalde and Real counties, from January 2023 until August 2026. Her work included human-smuggling cases with the Border Prosecutions Unit. The district attorney’s office remembered her for her dedication and her ability to bring levity to difficult workdays.

She also led the Youth Center of Texas as its president and chief executive from 2020 to 2022. The organization provides crisis intervention and case management for children who have experienced sex trafficking. She took part in child-welfare work in Bexar County, including adoption events and a holiday fundraiser for foster children.

Benavides was previously married to former San Antonio Spurs player Brent Barry. In 2010, Barry filed for divorce, alleging she had an emotional relationship with his then-teammate Tony Parker, who was married to actress Eva Longoria. Benavides denied the allegation. Longoria later filed for divorce from Parker; the couple divorced in 2011.

Christina Mitchell, the district attorney, said Benavides’s laughter and care for her work and family would be missed. Her office also praised her efforts to help make Uvalde and Real counties safer.