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League City police are investigating whether the second death at Wharf Marina, where Giselle Salazar-Tapia was found hanging, is related

League City police are investigating whether the second death at Wharf Marina, where Giselle Salazar-Tapia was found hanging, is related

LEAGUE CITY, Texas (KTRK) – A second woman was found dead in the same League City marina where a mother of four was found hanged on a dock three weeks ago.

League City police said investigators have not ruled out a possible connection.

“I’m sorry to say this, but this is probably going to continue. I honestly don’t think this is a coincidence,” Esparanza Alegria said.

On May 31, Alegria’s sister, 30-year-old Giselle Salazar-Tapia, was found hanged on a dock at Wharf Marina.

Salazar-Tapia lived with her boyfriend James Hart on a boat anchored in the marina.

“I have loved Giselle my whole life,” Hart told ABC13.

Lt. Eric Cox told ABC13 the department suspects foul play in her death.

When Salazar-Tapia was found hanging from the dock, one of her arms was unusually stretched out above her head.

Cox said this led police to believe she had died elsewhere and that she had been in a different position when rigor mortis set in. He said they were convinced her body had then been staged to make it look like she had committed suicide by hanging.

SEE ALSO: Police suspect foul play after mother of four found hanged on League City dock

Cox said the department has identified two people of interest in the case.

“We know that these are probably the people she had the closest contact with during her life together,” Cox explained.

Hart told ABC13 he felt criminalized after Salazar-Tapia’s death.

“I would never hurt Giselle,” he said.

League City police confirmed that prior to Salazar-Tapia’s death, officers were called to the marina several times for domestic disputes in which she was involved.

“We always had to remind her that the people she called friends or talked to were not her friends. They didn’t care about her,” Alegria said.

Police have not yet released the identity of the second woman found dead on a boat docked at the marina on July 19. Police are awaiting autopsy results but tentatively believe her death may have been caused by an overdose.

The coroner is also awaiting the results of the toxicology examination into Salazar-Tapia’s death.

Alegria told ABC13 she fears her sister’s good nature and addictions may have been exploited.

“They saw what she was like, they saw that she was a nice person, they saw that she cared so much about everyone, and they took advantage of that,” she said. “She wanted to come back to us and be healthy and sober and happy, and she didn’t get the chance to do that.”

She said her family wanted those responsible for her sister’s death to go to prison.

For further updates on this story, follow Shannon Ryan on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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