Murder in Guadalupe County

Murder in Guadalupe County includes the homicides of thirty-three males and seven females. Three of the victims were law enforcement officials---two Guadalupe county deputy sheriffs and one Santa Rosa town marshal. The three were all killed while carrying out their law enforcement duties. Only one of the cases included was committed by a female, a woman who killed her husband. The most famous of the murders was also the earliest one, the slaying of Juan Patr n in 1884 at a Puerto de Luna saloon. Juan Patr n had been a friend of Billy the Kid in Lincoln county during the days of the famous Lincoln County War. The infamous outlaw is known to have visited Patr n in Puerto de Luna. Patr n later served as speaker of the house in the New Mexico territorial legislature. The murders are all presented in alphabetical order according to the surname of the victim. They stand as a reminder that law and order did not always prevail in making Guadalupe county safe for its citizens. However, in most cases, the perpetrators were brought to justice.