Family of man found dead last year in Jacona wants charges filed

The discovery spurred a monthslong investigation by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, one that determined two men might have been responsible for Naranjo's death.

But while former sheriff's office Detective Paul Prentice forwarded the contents of his investigation to the First Judicial District Attorney's Office more than a year ago, requesting the two men be charged with an open count of murder, conspiracy and tampering with evidence, the counts were never filed.

A spokesman for the First Judicial District Attorney's Office wrote in a recent email the case remains pending and open. But Naranjo's family members say they are frustrated the potential suspects have not been been charged.

The sheriff's office case file, obtained by The New Mexican through an Inspection of Public Records Act request, relies on interviews with the two suspects, each of whom told investigators conflicting stories about the events of Dec. 28, 2018 — the last night Marshall Naranjo was seen alive.

One of the suspects told investigators he had nothing to do with Naranjo's death but said the other man told him he planned to give the victim a "hot shot" of heroin to cause him to overdose, then rob him, according to case documents.

The other suspect also said he had nothing to do with Naranjo's death and that if he had any knowledge the man had overdosed, he would have immediately taken him to the hospital.

As a kid, he was a gifted athlete who played football and ran track until blowing out a knee. His family acknowledged he faced trouble in his life, and his grandmother said he previously used drugs and alcohol, but he had gone to rehab.

His grandmother said this caused him to become depressed, saying he had been having a hard time right before the holidays.

According to the toxicology report, Naranjo tested positive for alcohol, as well as substances indicating he had recently used heroin. Heroin and alcohol are central nervous system depressants that can cause people to stop breathing and die.

"However, it cannot be determined from the examination alone who administered the drugs," the autopsy report states.

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