Ryan Barnes, a 49-year-old White/Caucasian man from Alamosa, Colorado, was killed on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in what authorities investigated as a homicide and fatal shooting. At approximately 6:20 p.m., Alamosa County sheriff’s deputies were sent to a residence in the 3000 block of Lincoln Avenue after receiving a report that a person inside was unconscious and not breathing. When deputies entered the residence, they found Barnes deceased with visible injuries.
A woman who had reported the incident was found at the scene and interviewed by investigators. Barnes was formally identified and his name was released after authorities notified his next of kin.
The investigation quickly focused on Fernando Rodriguez, an Alamosa resident who authorities sought in connection with the killing. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation joined the Alamosa County Sheriff’s Office in the case, while the Alamosa Police Department and Colorado State Patrol also assisted during the search. Investigators believed Rodriguez was traveling in a green 1995 Subaru station wagon bearing Colorado license plate AXO-F61. Authorities warned members of the public not to approach him and asked anyone who knew his whereabouts to contact law enforcement.
The search continued for more than two weeks and eventually extended into Wyoming. On the afternoon of March 18, deputies with the Albany County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Sybille Canyon area after homeowners returned to a seasonal property and discovered an unfamiliar vehicle there. Authorities determined that the vehicle was a stolen green 1995 Subaru associated with Rodriguez and that there was an active homicide warrant connected to him. Deputies surrounded the area and activated the Albany County Joint Special Response Team, beginning a standoff with Rodriguez. He was ultimately taken into custody without further injury to responding officers or members of the public.
Following his arrest, Rodriguez was charged with second-degree murder, felony menacing, motor vehicle theft and possession of a weapon by a previous offender. Contemporary reporting described the murder allegation as a class 3 felony, the motor vehicle theft allegation as a class 2 felony, and the menacing and weapons allegations as class 5 felonies. He was initially held in the Albany County Jail while authorities arranged his extradition to Colorado. Officials credited numerous Wyoming and Colorado agencies with assisting in his apprehension, including the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, Laramie Police Department, emergency personnel, the Albany County Joint Special Response Team and investigators from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
At the time of the publicly available reports following the arrest, the case remained an active investigation. Rodriguez had been arrested and formally charged in connection with Barnes’s death, but the available sources reviewed did not report a completed trial, guilty plea, conviction or sentence. As of March 20, reporting also indicated that he had not yet appeared on the Colorado court docket, with extradition from Wyoming still being arranged. The charges therefore remained allegations, and Rodriguez was legally presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
