The suicide death of Mark Gonzales apparently closes the case against him.
But still unanswered is whether the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has closed the books on the death of Chasity Stine, whom Gonzales was accused of murdering in 2007.
The CBI investigator for the case has not returned a call to the Democrat as of Monday.
District Attorney Rodney Fouracre said last week he understood the CBI may still be doing some investigation into the murder. But he added that no additional charges were currently pending in the case.
“I do not know why he did it,” Fouracre said in reference to the self-inflicted death of Gonazales. Gonzales had been found hanging inside a cell at the Bent County Jail. He was rushed to a hospital in Colorado Springs where he died a few days later.
“It is always a shame when someone kills themself. It seems to be a waste. That is my personal opinion,” Fouracre commented.
Fouracre was going to prosecute Gonzales for the Stine death in a June trial.
When he made court appearances in Las Animas,. Gonzales always appeared well groomed and in street clothes. His attitude seemed confident.
Gonzales had rejected attempts to settle the case through a plea bargain and seemed defiantly ready to contest the case in court.
His defense counsel, which included Ray Torres, had entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Gonzales erlier this month, which triggered the process for establishing a trial date.
Torres had said he planned to file dozens of court motions related to the 1,200 pages of grand jury testimony and the 127 witnesses related to the case.
Late last year the defense at one proceeding had argued that DNA evidence pointed to someone other than Gonzales, but the prosecution had countered that Gonzales had told people he was involved in the murder.
Stine had disappeared one Saturday in late March 2007 and her body was found east of Las Animas the following Monday by a searcher.
But the lengthy murder investigation became more high profile when Gonzales was arrested in Lamar on Aug. 7. He had been held in the Bent County Jail since then under a $250,000 bond.
Stine left behind three children fathered by Henry Lee Isom Jr., who is a half brother of Gonzales. The children are being cared for by close relatives of the victim.
Whatever Gallegos personally knew about the Stine murder has gone to the grave with him.
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The suicide death of Mark Gonzales apparently closes the case against him.
But still unanswered is whether the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has closed the books on the death of Chasity Stine, whom Gonzales was accused of murdering in 2007.
The CBI investigator for the case has not returned a call to the Democrat as of Monday.
District Attorney Rodney Fouracre said last week he understood the CBI may still be doing some investigation into the murder. But he added that no additional charges were currently pending in the case.
“I do not know why he did it,” Fouracre said in reference to the self-inflicted death of Gonazales. Gonzales had been found hanging inside a cell at the Bent County Jail. He was rushed to a hospital in Colorado Springs where he died a few days later.
“It is always a shame when someone kills themself. It seems to be a waste. That is my personal opinion,” Fouracre commented.
Fouracre was going to prosecute Gonzales for the Stine death in a June trial.
When he made court appearances in Las Animas,. Gonzales always appeared well groomed and in street clothes. His attitude seemed confident.
Gonzales had rejected attempts to settle the case through a plea bargain and seemed defiantly ready to contest the case in court.
His defense counsel, which included Ray Torres, had entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Gonzales erlier this month, which triggered the process for establishing a trial date.
Torres had said he planned to file dozens of court motions related to the 1,200 pages of grand jury testimony and the 127 witnesses related to the case.
Late last year the defense at one proceeding had argued that DNA evidence pointed to someone other than Gonzales, but the prosecution had countered that Gonzales had told people he was involved in the murder.
Stine had disappeared one Saturday in late March 2007 and her body was found east of Las Animas the following Monday by a searcher.
But the lengthy murder investigation became more high profile when Gonzales was arrested in Lamar on Aug. 7. He had been held in the Bent County Jail since then under a $250,000 bond.
Stine left behind three children fathered by Henry Lee Isom Jr., who is a half brother of Gonzales. The children are being cared for by close relatives of the victim.
Whatever Gallegos personally knew about the Stine murder has gone to the grave with him.
