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Juan Ortiz

Case from Rociada, NM dated Sep 01, 1978

Victim Details

Juan Ortiz

December 16, 2022

Male

Hispanic / Latino

Rociada

NM

1978-09-01

39

Juan

Ortiz

07/08/2026


Area Body Found:

Case Description

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Do you know who murdered Deputy Juan Ortiz in September of 1978?
Juan Leo Ortiz, a 33-year-old Hispanic male, was a Deputy Sheriff with the San Miguel County Sheriff's Department in New Mexico. His life was cut short in an act of retaliation on Sunday, September 17, 1978, just three weeks after a fateful encounter in the Santa Fe National Forest. While on patrol, he had confronted several individuals who were reportedly harassing campers. The situation escalated, and when one of the men aimed a rifle at him, Deputy Ortiz fired his weapon, killing the suspect. ...
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Links to Additional Sources (7)

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  • Deputy Sheriff Juan Leo Ortiz - Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP)
  • Deputy Juan Ortiz - The Land of Entrapment
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    Forum Posts (2)

    Hey all,
    I've been diving deep into the case of Deputy Juan Ortiz's murder from '78, and one deta... ...Read More
    02/23/2024
    Does anyone else find it eerie how whoever shot Deputy Ortiz managed to avoid leaving any substantia... ...Read More
    04/13/2023
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