In the late hours of a Monday night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on July 10, 2023, a dispute inside an apartment on 2nd Street NW would tragically claim the life of 42-year-old Russell Werner, a Caucasian male. The argument, reportedly over the repair of an air conditioning unit, escalated into a fatal confrontation. His assailant, Jose Martinez, who was 52 at the time and known by the nickname “Bologna,” struck Werner in the chest with an AR-style rifle.
The impact caused the weapon to discharge a single round, ending Werner's life.
Following the shooting, Martinez attempted to conceal the crime. Witnesses reported that he intimidated several people, seeking their assistance in a desperate cover-up. He wrapped Werner's body in a piece of carpet, dragged it from the apartment, and loaded it into the trunk of a vehicle. By the time Albuquerque police officers responded to reports of a shooting at 11:17 p.m., Martinez had already fled the scene with the body. Officers at the apartment discovered a woman covered in blood, and their investigation soon led them to connect with a grim discovery made in the early morning hours.
Shortly after 1 a.m., a security guard reported finding a deceased body at 2200 Midtown Pl., N.E. The victim was later identified as Russell Werner, and it was determined he had sustained a gunshot wound. Homicide detectives, who had begun their investigation at the 2nd Street apartment, were able to piece together the events of that night through witness interviews and evidence, including a shell casing found at the scene. An arrest warrant was issued for Jose Martinez, charging him with an open count of murder and tampering with evidence.
Martinez fled to Las Vegas, New Mexico, but his time as a fugitive was short-lived. Through the efforts of the New Mexico State Police, he was apprehended overnight. In a significant development in the case, on November 21, 2024, Jose Martinez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Russell Werner.
