On August 9, 2021, William 'Billy' Dixon, a 56-year-old resident of Aztec, New Mexico, was fatally shot at his home located at 60 County Road 3400. The incident unfolded in a complex and dramatic manner, involving multiple individuals and a web of events that would eventually lead to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
The events of that day began when Francine Ross visited Billy Dixon's house after leaving a casino.
According to Ross's statement to investigators, she and Dixon smoked weed and meth together at his residence. During this time, a Hispanic male, described as younger and 'somewhat cute,' arrived at the door and asked for drugs. Dixon reportedly told the man he did not have any, but Ross offered him a hit from the meth pipe she was holding. The man, who introduced himself as 'Cisco,' shook Ross's hand briefly before going outside with Dixon. Shortly thereafter, Ross heard two gunshots, one of which echoed longer, followed by footsteps, a car door slamming, and a car leaving the scene. When Ross went outside, she found Dixon on the ground with his head severely deformed from being shot in the head.
The case remained cold for nearly two years until new evidence and witness statements surfaced. Ross, who had taken Dixon's phone when she left the scene, was questioned by detectives on July 20, 2023. She provided crucial information that led investigators to a suspect. Ross mentioned that she had heard from Kelly Standifer that a female named Nora and her boyfriend were involved in Dixon's murder because Dixon had allegedly raped Nora. Standifer corroborated Ross's story, describing a man named Cisco who was picked up by Nora in Phoenix and brought back to Farmington. Standifer also provided a description of Cisco that matched the one given by Ross, which helped detectives identify the suspect.
Through further investigation, detectives identified 'Cisco' as Francisco Vasquez Jr., a 29-year-old man from Arizona. They secured a search warrant for Nora's Facebook accounts and found messages that linked Vasquez to the crime. When questioned, Nora confirmed that Vasquez had killed Dixon, stating that Dixon had drugged and raped her and 'got what he deserved for raping numerous girls.'.
Vasquez was located in a prison in Douglas, Arizona, where he was serving time for another offense. On August 22, 2023, San Juan County Sheriff's Office detectives interviewed Vasquez, who admitted to going by the name 'Cisco' and being in Farmington in 2021. He confessed to the homicide, detailing how he obtained a gun from a man at the Farmington Inn and went to Dixon's home. Vasquez demonstrated how he held the gun in his right hand inside his front hoodie pocket and stated, 'I did it man, he's a rapist, he raped my home girl So I went over there and I smoked him I gave him two to his head Boom boom.'.
Following his confession, Vasquez was extradited from Arizona and booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on October 19, 2023. He was charged with first-degree murder and possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon, a fourth-degree felony. A preliminary hearing for Vasquez was set for November 16, 2023, in San Juan County Magistrate Court.
The investigation and subsequent arrest were praised by the San Juan County Sheriff's Office, highlighting the diligent work of the detectives in solving the brutal crime. The case, which had been cold for nearly two years, was finally brought to a close with the identification and arrest of Francisco Vasquez Jr., thanks to the new evidence and witness statements that surfaced in 2023.
