In the small town of Mammoth, Arizona, a quiet morning was shattered by violence on January 31, 2017, leaving a community in fear and two families grieving senseless losses. On that Tuesday, 28-year-old Maria Desantiago and her partner, 34-year-old Mark Reynoso, were found brutally murdered outside their home. The couple, who were engaged to be married, were discovered by Reynoso's father under a tree on their property. Both had sustained multiple gunshot wounds from the same firearm.
The day began with a 911 call around 11:00 a.m. reporting the sound of six gunshots and a woman's scream. However, a police patrol of the area yielded nothing unusual, tragically delaying the discovery of the crime. It wasn’t until shortly before noon that the grim scene was uncovered. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office quickly determined that the deaths were a double homicide, noting that robbery did not appear to be a motive as the killer or killers did not seem to have entered the home.
Maria Desantiago was remembered by loved ones as a hardworking woman and a devoted mother to her three sons. She often helped out at the Reynoso family's restaurant, where Mark also worked alongside his father. The couple had a blended family of five children from previous relationships. Her sister described her as a great mother who loved to dance and had no known enemies, making her violent death all the more incomprehensible to her family.
Despite an intensive investigation by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office and interviews with over 50 people, the case remains unsolved. Authorities believe the attack was personal and that the perpetrator or perpetrators likely drove a midsize sedan or pickup truck. A significant reward has been offered for any information that could lead to an arrest and bring closure to the families of Maria Desantiago and Mark Reynoso, who are still waiting for justice for their loved ones. The community of Mammoth remains haunted by the unsolved murders, with the knowledge that a killer may still be in their midst.
