In the early morning hours of September 8, 2026, a sense of dread filled a friend of Stacia Marie Pearce as their phone call was abruptly interrupted by the sound of gunshots. On the other end of the line, the 38-year-old woman from Roswell, New Mexico, fell silent. The concerned friend immediately contacted the police, requesting a welfare check at Pearce's residence on Juniper Street. When officers arrived at the home around 3 a.m., they discovered a grim scene.
Stacia Marie Pearce and a man, later identified as 39-year-old Tony Joseph Ontiveros, were found inside, both having suffered fatal gunshot wounds. They were pronounced dead at the scene, and investigators immediately began treating the case as a double homicide. In the initial chaos, it was also discovered that Pearce's vehicle had been stolen from the property.
The Roswell Police Department launched an intensive investigation into the brutal killings that had shaken the community. As they pieced together the events of that tragic morning, the stolen vehicle was located and recovered. The day after the bodies were discovered, authorities publicly identified 43-year-old Manuel Gallegos as a person of interest they wished to speak with regarding the double homicide. While police later made contact with Gallegos, details of their interaction have not been publicly released, and no arrests have been announced in connection with the murders. The investigation remains ongoing as law enforcement continues to seek answers and justice for the two lives lost.
In a devastating turn of events that compounded the family's grief, tragedy struck again on the very same day. Upon learning of her mother's death, Stacia's daughter, Haylee Gonzalez, a student at the University of New Mexico, began the journey from Albuquerque to Roswell to be with her family. While traveling with her cousin, their vehicle was struck by a commercial freight truck. Haylee was killed in the crash, adding an almost unimaginable layer of sorrow to an already heartbreaking situation. The case of Stacia Pearce's death is a story of profound loss, not only from the violent act that took her life and that of Tony Ontiveros but also from the subsequent, unrelated tragedy that claimed her daughter. With a person of interest identified but no arrests made, the case remains an open investigation, leaving a family and community awaiting closure.
