On a quiet country road in New Plymouth, Idaho, the morning of May 15, 2022, was shattered by violence. Inside a home at 550 Ada Road, authorities responded to a report of a shooting in the early hours, just before 2:00 a.m. Upon arrival, deputies from the Payette County Sheriff's Office and a special response team made a grim discovery. They found the bodies of two people, both of whom had been fatally shot.
The victims were later identified as 45-year-old Megan Amaya, a Caucasian female, and Eric Ortega, also 45.
The Payette County Sheriff's Office immediately began treating the scene as a double homicide. The nature of the crime prompted them to request the assistance of the Idaho State Police to aid in the investigation. Authorities confirmed that both Amaya and Ortega were residents of New Plymouth and that their deaths were the result of gunshot wounds. In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement officials worked to piece together the events that led to the tragic loss of two lives, though the specific type or caliber of the firearm used was not immediately known.
As the investigation unfolded, the community was left with questions and a sense of unease. Despite the efforts of the Payette County Sheriff's Office and the Idaho State Police, no suspect was immediately located or identified in connection with the double homicide. In the days following the incident, authorities had not publicly announced any arrests or named any persons of interest. The search for answers and for the individual or individuals responsible for the deaths of Megan Amaya and Eric Ortega continued, leaving a somber cloud over the small Idaho town.
