On Christmas Day of 2019, a heart-wrenching discovery was made in a quiet Rio Rancho, New Mexico neighborhood. Inside their home, authorities found the bodies of 14-year-old Adrian Velasquez, his 22-year-old brother Roberto Velasquez, and their 45-year-old mother, Marilyn Velasquez. The young Hispanic male and his family had all suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
Concerned relatives had gone to check on the family on Christmas Day after not hearing from them.
The night before, on Christmas Eve, the family had been celebrating together, playing games late into the evening. When calls and messages went unanswered the next day, family members went to the home and made the tragic discovery. Adrian and his older brother were found in their beds.
The investigation into the deaths quickly pointed towards a murder-suicide. The patriarch of the family, 50-year-old Carlos Velasquez, was also found deceased at the scene with a gun located beneath his body. Reports from family and court documents indicated that Carlos, an Army veteran, had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He and his wife, Marilyn, were also in the process of a divorce.
In the wake of the devastating event, friends, family, and the community came together to mourn the loss of Adrian, his brother, and his mother. A candlelight vigil was held to honor their memory. Given that the sole suspect in the killings was also deceased, there were no arrests made in connection with this case. The incident left a profound sense of loss and sorrow within the Rio Rancho community.
