Heather Rose Duran, a 34-year-old mother, was killed in her Pueblo, Colorado, home on February 24, 2023. That evening, around 6:30 p.m., police were called to a residence in the 1100 block of E. Abriendo Avenue, where they discovered Heather inside with fatal gunshot wounds. The investigation was immediately handled as a homicide.
According to testimony from a later hearing, Heather had been in an argument with her roommate, Francisco Ruiz, over a maintenance issue that caused water to drip onto her bed. Heather’s boyfriend, who was in the apartment at the time, told investigators he saw Ruiz push her onto the bed during the dispute. The two continued arguing as they left the room, and the boyfriend then heard gunshots. When he came out of the room, he saw Heather lying facedown in the hallway.
A suspect was found at the scene, and on March 23, 2023, police announced the arrest of Francisco Jose Ruiz, then 31, with the assistance of the Pueblo SWAT team.
Ruiz, who had called 911 himself, claimed he had acted in self-defense, telling investigators that Heather had charged at him with a box cutter. However, Heather’s boyfriend and another woman who was in the house both told police they saw nothing in Heather’s hands as she lay in the hallway. The second witness also reported seeing Ruiz bend over Heather’s body after the shooting.
Prosecutors alleged that Ruiz shot Heather twice, showing intent to kill, and then planted the box cutter in her hand. Footprints found in her blood were also cited as evidence. Ruiz was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and altering a corpse. He was held in the Pueblo County jail on a $1 million bond beginning in July 2023.
In December 2024, the trial of Francisco Ruiz began before District Judge Allison Ernst. The case was proceeding in court as of that month.
