Former New Braunfels Councilwoman Found Dead in Guadalupe River After Weeklong Search

A missing-person search in the Texas Hill Country ended in heartbreak after authorities identified a woman found in the Guadalupe River as former New Braunfels City Council member Juliet Elizabeth Watson.

Watson, 59, had been reported missing on May 26 after she was last seen in the Lincoln Street area of New Braunfels, according to KSAT. Her disappearance led to multiple searches along the Comal and Guadalupe rivers before a body was discovered on June 2 near the 700 block of Rusk Lane.

The Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the body was Watson, according to MySA. Police said there were no current signs of foul play, though her official cause of death has not yet been determined and remains pending toxicology results.

For New Braunfels, the case is especially painful because Watson was not just a name in a police update. She had served the city before, sitting on the New Braunfels City Council from 1996 to 2002.

People who live in fast-growing Texas towns understand how personal local government can feel. City council members are often the ones hearing from neighbors about roads, zoning, growth, parks, river access, tourism, public safety, and the pressure that comes when a once-smaller town begins changing quickly.

Watson’s time in office came during years when New Braunfels was already trying to balance its Hill Country identity with the growth that would later reshape much of Central Texas.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, Watson was remembered by a former colleague as someone who cared about protecting New Braunfels’ charm, natural beauty, and small-town character while the city grew.

That detail matters because New Braunfels is not just another city on a map. It is a place built around rivers, history, tourism, neighborhoods, old families, newcomers, and generations of people who feel deeply connected to the water and the land around it.

The search for Watson involved local police, fire officials, emergency crews, and rescue teams. Earlier reporting from the City of New Braunfels said the body was located during a planned search connected to efforts to find Watson.

Authorities said her circumstances did not meet the requirements for a Silver Alert, according to MySA. Still, her disappearance brought a serious response from search teams and concern from the community.

At this point, police have not released a final explanation for how Watson died. That is important to say clearly. Officials have said there are no current signs of foul play, but the case is not fully closed until the medical examiner’s work is complete.

For now, New Braunfels is left with a difficult ending to a search that many had hoped would turn out differently.

Watson’s death is being felt not only as a missing-person case, but as the loss of someone who once helped shape a community that continues to wrestle with growth, change, and the meaning of home.