Additional info in murder case delays proceedings

On the night of Sept. 26, 64-year-old Richard Milan was shot twice in the leg on a dimly lit street off Airport Road. Witnesses and security cameras caught a group of young people running from the scene in the moments after the shooting.

Milan, who was visiting Santa Fe from Kalamazoo, Mich., died of blood loss.

Two weeks later, Santa Fe police announced they were charging 17-year-old Zachary Gutierrez with firing the fatal shots, based on the testimony of other youth who were at the scene or who reported seeing Gutierrez after the shooting occurred.

But now, some additional information in the case has postponed the proceedings.

Gutierrez, whose case was slated to go

before a grand jury last week, has not yet been indicted as expected. Officials have been tight-lipped about the reasons.

District Attorney Marco Serna said investigators have “encountered additional information that we need to double check before we take [Gutierrez’s case] to grand jury.”

Serna declined to comment on the additional information, saying the case is under seal.

Lt. Paul Joye, who oversees criminal investigations for the Santa Fe Police Department, said officers so far have no changes to report related to the charges Gutierrez is facing or the circumstances of the case.

The investigation continues to evolve, he said.

“It’s not uncommon” for charges to change, Joye said.

“Just because the suspect has been arrested, that doesn’t mean the case is over. We’re still putting things together.”

Police have not ruled out the possibility that others involved in the shooting will faces charges, Joye said, adding that police are still pursuing leads.