Colorado Killer Adre Baroz: How the Disappearance of a Woman Led Investigators to Five Murders

When Korina Arroyo disappeared in southern Colorado in 2020, her family was left searching for answers. Months later, investigators uncovered human remains at remote properties in the San Luis Valley, revealing a disturbing case involving five victims and a man prosecutors said was responsible for their deaths.

Adre Jordan Baroz, known by the nickname “Psycho,” was charged in April 2021 with the first-degree murder of Arroyo, a 31-year-old woman from Monte Vista. He was already facing charges connected to four other killings.

According to investigators, Arroyo disappeared in late August 2020, shortly before she was expected to testify in a drug-related case against Baroz. Prosecutors later alleged that her death was connected to her anticipated testimony.

The investigation expanded in November 2020, when authorities searching rural properties near Los Sauces, outside Alamosa, discovered human remains in pits where bodies had reportedly been burned. The discoveries prompted a major investigation into several missing-person cases in the region.

The five victims were identified as Korina Arroyo, Selena Esquibel, Xavier Zeven Garcia, Myron Martinez and Shayla Hammel. Their disappearances had left families desperate for information, and investigators worked to determine what had happened to each person.

Baroz was arrested in Gallup, New Mexico, in November 2020 after a manhunt. Authorities said evidence and witness accounts connected him to the killings and the disposal of the victims’ remains. Several other men were also charged in connection with the case, including allegations involving the handling or concealment of bodies.

The investigation revealed a series of killings that prosecutors said occurred over approximately seven weeks in 2020. The case shocked communities across the San Luis Valley, where residents were confronted with the discovery that multiple missing-person investigations were connected.

In a major development, Baroz pleaded guilty in February 2024 to five counts of first-degree murder, along with charges involving human remains and other violent offenses. In May 2024, he received five consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, plus additional prison time.

The case brought a measure of legal accountability, but the loss remained devastating for the victims’ families. For Arroyo’s loved ones, the circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the fact that she had been expected to testify before she vanished made the case especially painful.

The San Luis Valley killings stand as a grim reminder of how several missing-person cases can converge into one investigation, leaving families waiting months for answers and communities struggling to understand the violence that took place close to home.

Source: cbsnews