Deputy Juan Leo Ortiz, a 33-year-old law enforcement officer, met his tragic end on September 17, 1978, in a act of retaliation for an earlier incident. Ortiz was working on his ranch in Rociada, New Mexico, near Maestas Canyon, when he was fatally shot.
The events leading to his death began on August 12, 1978, when Deputy Ortiz was on patrol in the Santa Fe National Forest. During this patrol, he encountered several men on horseback who were suspected of harassing campers in the area.
When he approached one of these men, identified as Frank J. Trujillo, the situation escalated. Trujillo, who was highly intoxicated, became belligerent and eventually aimed a rifle at Deputy Ortiz. In self-defense, Ortiz fired his weapon, resulting in Trujillo's death.
Following this incident, Ortiz faced significant backlash and threats to his life. He was charged with murder due to the political and public outrage surrounding the shooting, particularly because it was mistakenly linked to the shooting of a Las Vegas teen named Frank Garcia. However, the murder charge against Ortiz was later dismissed by Judge Joe Angel, who believed Ortiz's account of self-defense.
Despite the dismissal of the charges, the threats against Ortiz continued. There were attempts to run him down with a car, and he was chased by a vehicle on the highway between Las Vegas and Sapello. Fearing for his life, Ortiz took a leave of absence from his duties and sought shelter at a friend's house. His supervisor, Sheriff Santillanes, and Judge Joe Angel advised him to return to his native Pojoaque until the situation calmed down.
On the day of his death, Ortiz was at his ranch in Rociada, directing his wife to back up a truck toward the barn to unload hay bales. At around 200 yards away, an unknown assailant shot him with a. 300-caliber rifle. The first bullet hit Ortiz in the arm, and the second, more fatal shot, hit him in the back. Ortiz succumbed to his wounds within minutes, witnessed by his wife Emily and their two sons, Philip and Anthony.
The investigation into Ortiz's death revealed that the killer had carefully planned and executed the attack. The shooter had cleared branches and brush on a wooded hill overlooking the hay barn to create a clear line of sight. Two spent rifle casings and hoofprints were found at the scene, indicating the killer likely fled on horseback. The hoofprints led investigators into the woods, where they eventually joined two other sets of hoofprints near the ranch. These tracks continued on the Angostura Trail to Tres Ritos, where they stopped at an old cabin. Evidence suggested that someone had broken into the cabin and spent the night, and a horse trailer had been used to load a horse in the area. Residents of Tres Ritos reported seeing a yellow truck pulling a white horse trailer in the vicinity.
Despite extensive efforts by the New Mexico State Police and the FBI, the case remains unsolved. There are strong suspicions that the men who were with Trujillo during the initial incident, or their families, were involved in Ortiz's murder. However, no one has been officially identified or arrested in connection with his death.
The lack of resolution in this case has left a lasting impact on the community and Ortiz's family, who continue to seek justice for the tragic loss of their loved one.
