PAGOSA SPRINGS, Colo. (TCN) — Authorities recently arrested a father and his teenage son on suspicion of killing the boy’s mother amid an alleged custody battle.
According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), on July 2, dispatchers received an emergency call from 38-year-old Chrystal Snow’s phone. Per an affidavit reviewed by the Denver Post, no one spoke on the call and only heavy breaths were heard. The Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence and discovered Snow had been fatally shot.
Investigators learned 43-year-old Charles Martinez had allegedly messaged Snow through a parenting app and tried to convince her not to file for full custody of their youngest son. According to the affidavit, Snow’s son, 17-year-old Hevon Martinez, also tried to sway Snow from seeking custody of his younger brother.
Snow allegedly told her ex she wanted full custody of the child hours before her death.
According to the Denver Post, authorities obtained surveillance footage that revealed Charles Martinez and Hevon Martinez driving in the area after Snow’s death. They reportedly removed the license plates from the car to avoid tracking from a license plate reader. Their phones also couldn’t be tracked.
The Denver Post reports investigators found bloodstains around Snow’s residence and suspect they belong to Hevon Martinez following DNA analysis.
Snow had filed a permanent restraining order against Charles Martinez in June after he allegedly verbally abused, intimidated, and harassed her. Snow also alleged that she tried to break up with him in October 2023, and he threatened to kill her. Snow had also reportedly filed a restraining order in October 2023 against Hevon Martinez because he allegedly abused her.
During interviews, multiple people reportedly told police Snow feared Charles Martinez would kill her. The Denver Post reports that a victim advocate said, “Chrystal told her that Charles said he would come in the middle of the night to kill her and that a protection order was just a piece of paper.”
On Oct. 28, the CBI announced that authorities arrested Charles Martinez and Hevon Martinez and booked them on a count of first-degree murder. Charles Martinez remains held in the Archuleta County Detention Center on $2.5 million bond. Hevon Martinez was already in custody for separate charges, but he will be charged as an adult.
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