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Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez death by force case profile photo

Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez

Case from Rifle, CO dated Jul 03, 2001

Victim Details

Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez

Male

Hispanic / Latino

Rifle

CO

2001-7-3

23

Melquiades

Medrano-Velasquez

07/22/2026

Case Description

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On a warm summer evening in Rifle, Colorado, the night of July 3, 2001, turned into a scene of terror and tragedy. Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez, a 23-year-old Hispanic male, was senselessly killed in a violent rampage that claimed the lives of three others and wounded several more. The tranquility of the small town was shattered by a man whose mind was reportedly clouded by mental illness and racial animosity.

The evening's horror began to unfold when Steven Michael Stagner, a 42-year-old ...
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Links to Additional Sources (3)

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  • DA will not seek death penalty in Stagner case | PostIndependent.com
  • Memorial for Stagner shooting victims to be dedicated in Rifle
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    Forum Posts (2)

    Has anyone else been thinking about the witnesses in the Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez case? It must ... ...Read More
    05/09/2024
    I've been thinking a lot about Melquiades Medrano-Velasquez and his brother Juan Carlos. It’s so d... ...Read More
    02/03/2023
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