On February 1, 2024, the life of 67-year-old Maria Olga Shroyer came to a tragic end in her Albuquerque, New Mexico home. The events that unfolded on that day were a grim discovery for community safety responders who had been dispatched to conduct a welfare check at her residence on Constitution Ave., N.E. Peering through a window, they saw what appeared to be a deceased woman inside, prompting an immediate response from the Albuquerque Police Department.
Upon entering the home, officers
from the Foothills Area Command found a somber scene. Maria Shroyer was deceased, as was an adult male, later identified as her 38-year-old son, Robert Shroyer III. Initially, the cause of Maria's death was not immediately apparent to the investigators at the scene. However, the subsequent autopsy performed by the Office of the Medical Investigator would reveal a tragic and violent truth. A gunshot wound was discovered, leading to the determination that her death was a homicide.
The investigation into the double fatality painted a sorrowful picture of the circumstances leading up to the deaths. Detectives learned that Maria had been the caregiver for her adult son, Robert. The evidence gathered led investigators to the conclusion that the incident was a murder-suicide. It is believed that Robert Shroyer III fatally shot his mother before taking his own life at a later time. His death was attributed to what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the aftermath of the investigation, the Albuquerque Police Department concluded that this was an isolated and contained incident within the family. With the primary suspect, Robert Shroyer III, also deceased at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with Maria's death. The case is now considered closed, leaving behind a tragic story of familial violence.
