On July 21, 2019, at approximately 12:22 a.m., 33-year-old Matthew Corral was discovered deceased on De Vargas Street in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. He was found face-down in the roadway with a gunshot wound to his chest, near his heart. Two women in an Uber vehicle noticed his body and stopped to assist, performing chest compressions until emergency responders arrived. Despite their efforts, Corral was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Santa Fe Police Department initiated a homicide investigation, treating the case as a priority. Initial findings from the autopsy confirmed that Corral had been shot at least once in the chest. Investigators collected blood and DNA samples from the scene and reviewed surveillance footage from nearby areas, including the New Mexico Supreme Court building. However, the footage was of insufficient quality to provide clear identifying details. Witnesses reported hearing a noise shortly after midnight, described as a gunshot, firework, or 'pop,' but none observed anything unusual.
Despite extensive efforts, the investigation faced significant challenges. Key evidence, such as a shell casing or projectile, was not recovered. Geofencing data requests to Google yielded no results, and surveillance videos did not capture clear images of potential suspects or vehicles. Several individuals were questioned, including an intoxicated driver with scratches on his body and a ripped shirt, who was stopped blocks away from the crime scene hours after Corral's body was found. However, no arrests were made, and no suspects were identified.
As of August 2024, five years after Corral's death, the case remains unsolved. The Santa Fe Police Department has not identified a suspect, and the investigation is considered cold. Corral's mother, Karen Corral, expressed her frustration over the lack of progress, stating that it's 'hard to let it go because we don't have any answers.' She has spent years requesting information from the police investigation, reflecting the ongoing anguish of the victim's family.
