SFPD: Prime suspect in murder is dead

SANTA FE (KRQE) - Santa Fe Police say the prime suspect in the murder of a local artist and businessman is dead.

Ethaan Boyer, 34 was found dead in his home off West Alameda last February by his wife.

Police believed he walked in on a man burglarizing his home.  That man was later identified as David Martinez.

"We later found actual DNA evidence that linked the Boyer homicide to Mr. David Martinez," Captain Aric Wheeler said.

Just one problem, Martinez was also killed in March.

"The prime suspect we believe to be the deceased, Mr. Martinez," said Wheeler.

Martinez was found dead 17 days after Boyer was killed.

Police said his brother, Felix Martinez admitted to shooting him and then with the help of his friend Sam Leyba, dumping his body and the murder weapon near a park just blocks away from Boyer's home.

"We know for sure that the firearm that was used in killing Mr. Boyer was in fact the same firearm that was located at the scene on top of Mr. David Martinez's body, which was the same firearm that was used to murder Mr. Martinez as well," Captain Wheeler said.

Detectives said the brothers were at Leyba's house when Martinez was killed.

The three men were known burglars and police believe they may have even worked together to pull off some heists.

However, detectives have not been able to link Leyba and Felix Martinez to Boyer's murder saying there is no physical evidence to put them at the scene.

Making things more difficult, Captain Wheeler said the two are not talking either.

"Unfortunately it seems that we've come to a point where we're not going to be able to hold any other parties accountable," said Wheeler.

The DNA left behind was on a lens from a pair of sunglasses found in Boyer's driveway, the sunglasses belonged to David Martinez.

Felix Martinez was charged in his brothers death and Leyba was charged for receiving stolen property after various items from burglaries were found in his house.