On October 23, 2021, in Edgewood, New Mexico, Vicente Montano was fatally shot. The incident came to light when a woman, later identified as Montano's girlfriend, arrived at the Edgewood Police Department with a gunshot wound to her jaw. She informed the authorities that her boyfriend had been killed.
Subsequent police investigations led them to the property of Daniel Lee Kota, where they discovered Montano's body buried in a shallow grave.
Kota turned himself in to the police the following day. He admitted to shooting Montano multiple times but claimed it was in response to Montano shooting his girlfriend. Kota was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, as he had a prior arson conviction from 2007.
The girlfriend, identified as Destiny Sanchez, survived the shooting but faced a challenging recovery due to the severity of her injuries. Friends and community members rallied around her, organizing support events and fundraising efforts to assist her and her two children during this difficult time.
The case drew significant attention in the Edgewood community, highlighting issues of domestic violence and the complexities involved in violent confrontations. As the legal proceedings against Kota progressed, the community remained engaged, seeking justice for Montano and support for Sanchez's recovery.
