New person of interest in park murder

SANTA FE, NM (KRQE) - Santa Fe police say the 51-year-old Sam Leyba came to the police station and spoke with detectives. They say Leyba is directly involved in the killing of 53-year-old David Martinez and could give details on who killed him.

David Martinez’s body was found in Torreon Park in Santa Fe Monday morning but investigators believe he was murdered in one location and his body dumped in the park. Police have a murder weapon but won’t say what it is or where they found it.

Martinez, the victim, does have a long rap sheet; he has been arrested in crimes from New York to Arizona.

Sam Leyba lives near the victim, off West Alameda Street where the body was found.  Santa Fe police said they found evidence outside of Leyba's house that link him to the murder and spent Wednesday searching inside Leyba's home.

This is the same neighborhood where a business owner was murdered in his home last month.

Police think Ethan Boyer was killed by a burglar and investigators are looking to see if the two murders are connected.

Police closed the neighborhood to traffic Tuesday checking cars and escorting neighbors to their homes, “We had a reason to believe that he was actually murdered within the vicinity of where he was placed. That being identified, we wanted to lock down the streets and maintain control of who is going in and coming out." said Captain Aric Wheeler of the Santa Fe Police Department

Police said neighbors heard gunshots Sunday night but to them that was not unusual for the neighborhood.

There could be more people involved in the homicide. Police will not comment as to the results of the interview.