In the early hours of a Monday morning in Salina, Kansas, the sound of several gunshots shattered the peace on August 23, 2021. When police were dispatched to the 500 block of East Iron Avenue, they discovered a young Hispanic man, 25-year-old Camilo Reynaldo Ramirez, lying in the street with a gunshot wound. Tragically, his dog was also found deceased at the scene from a gunshot. Ramirez was rushed to a hospital in Wichita in critical condition, but succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The news of his passing was delayed at the request of his family, who wished to donate his organs.
The investigation into Ramirez's death quickly gained momentum. Surveillance footage from near the scene of the shooting showed a vehicle circling the area before two individuals exited and began firing. This evidence, along with other investigative leads, led Salina Police to identify two persons of interest: 24-year-old Jamie Leos, Jr. and 34-year-old Juan Doroteo Morales. Both men were located, questioned, and subsequently arrested. A search of a residence connected to Jaime Leos, Jr. uncovered evidence related to the shooting as well as over 80 grams of methamphetamine.
As the investigation continued, two more individuals were implicated in the murder of Camilo Ramirez. Kiera Stewart, a 22-year-old from Salina, was arrested and faced charges including felony murder and attempted aggravated robbery. Detectives also identified 22-year-old Jacob Martin Leos from Justin, Texas, as a fourth suspect. A warrant for his arrest was issued in November 2021, and he was apprehended in Texas in January 2022 and extradited to Salina. Investigators believe that Ramirez was lured to the location by the four co-defendants. The firearms used in the shooting were later discovered in a drainage system a few blocks from a residence associated with the crime.
The legal proceedings brought a measure of closure to the case. In May 2025, a Saline County jury found Juan Doroteo Morales guilty of first-degree, premeditated murder, aggravated assault, and criminal possession of a firearm by a felon. The other three co-defendants entered guilty pleas. Kiera Stewart pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder, attempted aggravated robbery, and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery. Jacob Leos pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and aggravated assault, while Jaime Leos pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and conspiracy to commit second-degree murder.
