In the late hours of a Sunday in March 2017, the life of 59-year-old Earl Roybal was tragically cut short in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A man known affectionately by his friends as "Payaso," Roybal was at the Hose It Car Wash on Coors Boulevard, washing his motorcycle, a common pastime for the avid biker. An argument erupted over a car wash bay, a seemingly minor dispute that would escalate with devastating consequences. In a sudden act of violence, Earl Roybal was shot.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries on March 26, 2017.
The news of his death sent ripples of grief and shock through his community. Roybal was a well-respected figure, a veteran of the armed forces who dedicated his post-military life to serving fellow veterans as a caseworker for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He was an active member of the Onagers Motorcycle Club and was remembered by friends and family as a man with a big heart and an even bigger smile. In the days following his death, hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil at the very spot where his life was taken, a testament to the many lives he had touched.
The investigation into Earl Roybal's death unfolded, and a suspect was identified. However, the case did not proceed to an arrest or trial. The Bernalillo County District Attorney's Office reviewed the evidence presented by the Albuquerque Police Department. After consideration, the district attorney's office declined to file charges, ruling that the shooting was an act of self-defense.
This decision was met with profound disappointment and disagreement by Roybal's family and friends. They firmly believed that justice had not been served and that the circumstances of the shooting did not warrant a claim of self-defense. Unwilling to let the matter rest, Roybal's family hired a private investigator to re-examine the evidence, holding onto the hope that new information might lead to a different outcome. A year after his death, his loved ones organized a memorial motorcycle ride and vigil, a poignant reminder of a life lost and a quest for justice that for them, remained unfulfilled.
