Felipe Nerio Espinosa

Serial Killer

Felipe Nerio Espinosa: The Espinosa Killing Spree of 1863

Background

Felipe Nerio Espinosa was a nineteenth-century outlaw and serial murderer whose name became associated with one of the most notorious killing sprees in the early history of Colorado Territory. Working first with his younger brother, Jose Vivian Espinosa, and later with his teenage nephew, Jose Vicente Espinosa, Felipe carried out a series of ambushes and murders during 1863. The Espinosas claimed responsibility for as many as 32 deaths, although modern historical research has been able to document only a portion of that number with confidence. Felipe was probably born in northern New Mexico during the late 1820s, when the region was still part of Mexico. After the Mexican-American War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transferred enormous areas of the Southwest to the United States. The political and social changes that followed produced bitter disputes over land, property, legal rights, and the treatment of the region's Hispanic population. Those tensions later became part of the explanation Felipe gave for his violence. By the late 1850s, Felipe had settled with members of his family in the San Luis Valley near Conejos. He farmed, tended livestock, and was also accused of horse theft and other crimes. In early 1863, an attempt by authorities to arrest Felipe and Jose Vivian escalated into violence. A corporal accompanying the authorities was killed, and the brothers fled. Felipe's property was reportedly damaged or confiscated during the confrontation. Afterward, he increasingly portrayed himself as a man seeking revenge against Americans whom he blamed for the losses suffered by himself and his family.

The Beginning of the Murders

The Espinosa brothers began attacking isolated travelers, laborers, ranchers, and other men during March 1863. Their crimes were particularly frightening because the victims often seemed to have been chosen simply because they happened to cross the killers' path. Men traveling alone through mountain passes or working in remote places were especially vulnerable. Firearms were frequently used to launch the attacks. Some victims were then stabbed, struck, or mutilated after they had been shot. Contemporary reports and later accounts describe bodies bearing knife wounds and other injuries, although some of the more sensational details were repeated by newspapers many years later and cannot be independently verified. What is clear is that the killings created widespread fear throughout central Colorado at a time when communication was slow and law enforcement was limited. ...

Confirmed Victims: (9)

Francis William Bruce , Date of Death: 1863-03

Felipe Espinosa - Wikipedia