In September 2022, the life of a promising 20-year-old female art student, Emilia Rueda, was tragically cut short in what police suspect was a murder-suicide. A student at New Mexico State University, Rueda was found deceased in her Las Cruces apartment on the 1400 block of Alamo Drive on September 19, 2022. Alongside her was her 19-year-old boyfriend, Carlos Esparza, who was also deceased.
Both Rueda and Esparza were originally from El Paso, Texas.
Authorities with the New Mexico State Police launched an investigation into the deaths. Early in the investigation, a spokesperson indicated that the incident was likely a murder-suicide, a theory that would await a definitive determination pending a full analysis of all evidence. Later, official documents confirmed that Rueda died from stab wounds. Esparza was discovered with a rifle next to his body.
In the wake of this tragedy, Emilia Rueda’s family shared their grief and belief that she was a victim of domestic violence. Through a GoFundMe page created to assist with financial burdens, her family stated their understanding that Emilia was murdered by her boyfriend in her apartment on that Monday. Friends and faculty at New Mexico State University remembered her as a caring and optimistic person with a promising future. She was an active member of the NMSU Clay Club and was described as a "light to all who knew her." Her family remembered her excitement for her junior year of college and her job, saying she was "living life to her fullest." Memorial services were held for her in El Paso, where attendees were asked to wear pink, her favorite color, in her honor.
