ALAMOSA COUNTY, Colo. — One of three men connected to the discovery of three sets of human remains in Conejos County late last year has been formally charged with murder.
Julius Baroz was arrested last month and is being held on a $250,000 bond. He has been formally charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of tampering with deceased human remains, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The first-degree murder charge is related to the death of Myron Martinez who was positively identified as one of the three victims found in Conejos County.
Julius Baroz appeared in court Tuesday morning where a two-day preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 29. The hearing will cover the case against Julius Baroz and his brother Adre "Psycho" Baroz and will determine if there's enough evidence to go to trial.
Julius Baroz and CJ Walter Dominguez, 27, were taken into custody by Alamosa Police (APD) officers on Jan. 18.
Adre Baroz was already in custody on unrelated charges, but faces new charges that include two counts of first-degree murder and two additional charges of tampering with deceased human remains.
On Nov. 10, 2020, investigators from Conejos County Sheriff's Office and CBI went to a property near the town of Las Sauces on a warrant related to stolen vehicles and property. The warrant was not related to any missing person cases, however during that search, the remains of Shayla Hammel, Myron Martinez and another person were found. The third victim has not yet been identified.
Martinez was reported missing to the Rio Grande Sheriff's Office on Nov. 8, 2020, the arrest affidavit says. His last known communication was a message on Facebook to Adre Baroz on Oct. 27, an arrest affidavit from APD says.
During the investigation, it was determined that his vehicle was missing from his home, but one belonging to Hammel was there. Hammel was reported missing to the Saguache County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 27, but it was determined she hadn't been seen since October, according to the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, a witness who is not named said he was present when Martinez was killed inside the apartment of Adre Baroz at 617 6th St. in Alamosa.
The witness said Martinez was there to buy drugs, according to the affidavit. The witness was "shaking out of fear" because of the tension between Martinez and Adre Baroz, the affidavit says.
The witness said Adre Baroz asked a friend to "get rid of" Martinez's car, but was told his girlfriend (Hammel) was in the car. Adre Baroz instructed the friend to take Hammel to Las Sauces, the affidavit says. Hammel was alive at a home there for at least two days before she was killed, according to the affidavit.
Dominguez is being held on suspicion of tampering with deceased human remains accessory to first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping, according to CBI. He is being held in the Alamosa County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond.
Adre Baroz is being held in the Alamosa County Detention Center without bond.
Another man who was renting the property where the remains were found in November also faces unrelated charges. Francisco Ramirez, who officials said is a gang member, was arrested on the night of Dec. 11, 2020, in Pueblo.
He hasn't been charged in this case, however, a federal criminal complaint says that Ramirez was an accessory to the murders.
An informant told investigators he tried concealing the murders by transporting the bodies in vehicles, cleaning murder scenes and helping burn evidence, including human remains, the complaint says.
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