citizen_sleuth
Verified family member - Orie Donald Esh thread
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NamUs #UP10101
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic / Latino
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 32-40
Estimated Year of Death: 1986
Estimated PMI: Hours
Height: 5'7" (67 inches), Measured
Weight: 158 lbs, Estimated
Cause of Death: Homicide by multiple gunshots to the torso
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: December 9, 1986
NamUs Case Created: April 3, 2012
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Tucson, Arizona
County: Pima County
Circumstances of Recovery: Shortly before 8 a.m. on December 9, 1986, a man taking his morning walk noticed a cloud of smoke in the distance. The man went to investigate the source of the smoke, and discovered a burning body on a hay bale outside a vacant ranch house in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road and called authorities.
Firefighters and deputies responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. The body had been draped over the hay bale, which had likely been taken from a horse stable on the property, just outside the wrought-iron gates at the front of the property. Deputies learned that the ranch house had been vacant for some time, and a neighboring rancher was using it to board dogs and horses.
The man was fully-clothed, and although a wallet was found on his body, it was too badly burned to be of any use in identifying the victim. An autopsy revealed he had been shot multiple times in the torso. Detectives were unable to determine whether the victim was killed on the property or elsewhere.
Authorities believe that the victim may have been an associate of a man who had an unspecified business interest in the Southeast Side area. That man, who has not been publicly identified, was the leaseholder of the property where the body was found. An affidavit filed in Superior Court revealed that the leaseholder had "at least six" aliases, and had rented another property in the 4400 block of East Fort Lowell Road under the same name as the South Wilmot property.
When deputies searched the vacant ranch house, they found "a small amount of marijuana and containers (plastic trash bags) that once contained large amounts of marijuana," leading investigators to believe the property had been used as a drug dealer's stash house. Based on the evidence found at the property, police concluded the murder was likely drug-related and suggested the man may have been killed as "either a warning or a payback" to the drug dealers operating out of the ranch house.
On December 10, investigators obtained a search warrant for the business associate's Fort Lowell property. Deputies seized guns, a small amount of marijuana, plastic bags, scales, a cocaine grinder, and a chemical identified only as crystallized mannitol (a cocaine-cutting agent) inside the house. They also found personal papers, address and telephone books, a passport, photographs of different people, and a "name-change kit" inside the Fort Lowell home.
When contacted by detectives, the business associate was out of state and spoke with police through his attorney. He was not considered a suspect in the murder.
On September 13, 1989, police arrested 37-year-old Ricardo R. Ramirez and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder. Police believed Ramirez was responsible for the execution-style murders of the unidentified man and Fernando Sosa Moreno, 39, who was gunned down in his kitchen in the 500 block of West Pennsylvania Street on Oct. 22, 1988.
When police arrested Ramirez, they found a shotgun and 1.47 grams of cocaine in his car. A search of Ramirez's home uncovered a variety of weapons, including a British military submachine gun and firearm silencers.
A week and a half after he was arrested, prosecutors dropped the murder charges against Ramirez without prejudice, citing insufficient evidence for an indictment. Police still believe Ramirez to be responsible for the murders, although it appears he has never been re-charged.
Inventory of Remains: N/A
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned
Physical Description
Hair Color: Black
Head Hair Description: At least 2.5 inches long
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
- Gray houndstooth jacket; red striped blue shirt with buttons inscribed with "Nostra es Deus Spes"; blue denim jeans, Pierre Cardin brand; reversible brown and black leather belt, with "Pierre Cardin" buckle. (On the Body)
- Tan socks; black boots, zippered type, "DOMIT" brand with sole inscribed with "Hecho en Mexico" (On the Body)
News Coverage
C.T. Revere, "Charred body is found on bale of hay," Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, AZ], 10 December 1986, 1A.
A neighbor made the discovery shortly before 8 a.m. while seeking the source of smoke he spotted during his morning walk, Alter said.
[...]
The hay apparently was taken from a horse stable just inside the property line and set on fire next to a dirt road in the sparsely populated area north of Interstate 10, Alter said.
[...]
Homicide Sgt. Doug Witte said they may be able to use fingerprints from one hand that was not severely burned.
"Dead man was shot, deputy says," Tucson Citizen, 10 December 1986, 1B, 4B.
[part 1] [part 2]
Sgt. Douglas Witte, head of the sheriff's homicide division, said an autopsy revealed that the man, whose body was found yesterday morning, had been shot several times in the torso.
"We don't know if he was dead when he was set on fire," Witte said. "I would guess yes, but the lab has to say so."
Deputies and firefighters found the body smoldering at 8 a.m. when they arrived at the scene in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road.
[...]
One homicide detective said that someone had draped the body across the hay bale, which was on the ground just outside a wrought-iron gate in the yard of a ranch house.
The house has not been lived in for some time, deputies said. The ranch house area is used to store animals and feed used by a neighboring ranch operation.
"Burned man was shot to death," Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, AZ], 11 December 1986, B11.
Detectives believe the killing took place shortly before the body was found, but the autopsy results, which have not been released, should reveal the time of death.
Witte said there are still no motives or suspects in the killing. It is uncertain whether he was killed there or elsewhere, he said.
[...]
Witte said a severely burned wallet that was found on the body will likely offer no clues to the man's identity.
[...]
"If it's a Mexican citizen, we may have some problems there," Witte said. "And we're leaning toward him at least being Hispanic."
David L. Teibel, "Slaying might be warning," Tucson Citizen, 16 December 1986, 1D, 2D.
[part 1] [part 2]
The killing of the unidentified man may have been meant as a warning over non-payment of a drug debt, or it may have been a way to establish a territorial claim between rival drug dealers, sheriff's homicide Detective Warren Alter said.
An affidavit filed in court said the house appeared to be vacant, although horses and dogs were boarded there. Alter said detectives suspect the house may have been used as a drug dealer's cache house.
[...]
An autopsy showed that the man had been shot several times. Detectives said they thought the body had been set on fire to hide the victim's identity. Alter said the dead man may have been an associate of a man who has a business interest in the Southeast Side area.
While the man is now out of state, Alter said, he has been in contact with the Sheriff's Department through an attorney.
An affidavit on file in Superior Court, asking for a search warrant in connection with the killing and an inventory of evidence seized, shows a string of names associated with the investigation, many of which have been determined to be aliases used by the possible business associate, Alter said.
Detectives traced one of the names to a rented home on East Fort Lowell Road. Detectives, using the warrants, searched the home last Wednesday.
Alter said this morning that the possible business associate is not a suspect in the slaying probe.
Authorities at the Fort Lowell home said they seized guns, a small amount of marijuana, plastic bags, scales, a cocaine grinder, and a chemical identified only as crystallized mannitol (a cocaine-cutting agent). Alter said the finding of the drugs and paraphernalia led investigators to believe the killing was drug-related.
Personal papers, address and telephone books, a passport, photographs of different people and a "name-change kit" also were found at the Fort Lowell home.
C.T. Revere, "Burned man's killing believed drug-related," Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, AZ], 17 December 1986, B5.
Alter said the slaying may have been "either a warning or a payback" to drug dealers who may have been operating out of the house in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road.
[...]
Sgt. Doug Witte said detectives found "a small amount of marijuana and containers (plastic trash bags) that once contained large amounts of marijuana" inside the vacant ranch house.
The name on the lease of the property was traced to another house leased in the same name, in the 4400 block of East Fort Lowell Road, and a search warrant was issued Dec. 10, Witte said.
[...]
He said other evidence found in the [Fort Lowell Road] home indicated the tenant had used "at least six" aliases.
Detectives still have no idea who the dead man is, but Witte said they believe he may have been associated with the lease-holder of the southside property where his body was found.
He said the lease-holder, who is out of town, is not a suspect in the slaying. Detectives have been in contact with the man's attorney and plan to meet with him next week, Witte said.
David L. Teibel, "Murder charges dropped, Ramirez stays in jail," Tucson Citizen, 23 September 1989, 6A.
Charges against Ricardo R. Ramirez, 37, who had been accused in two apparently drug-related murders, have been dropped because of a lack of evidence.
[...]
He was jailed on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with execution-style killings.
Law enforcement officers labeled him as the killer of Fernando Sosa Moreno, 39, gunned down in his kitchen in the 500 block of West Pennsylvania Street on Oct. 22, 1988.
And, they said, Ramirez also was the man who killed an unidentified Hispanic man on a deserted ranch in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road, Dec. 9, 1986, draping the body over a hay bale and setting it on fire.
The pyre burned the man beyond recognition. He is still unidentified.
[...]
"At this point in time, there is insufficient evidence to seek an indictment," [Deputy County Attorney Rick] Unklesbay said.
Unklesbay said the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled any time there is enough evidence for prosecution.
[...]
Both police and sheriff's detectives said they are continuing to investigate Ramirez in connection with the killings.
At Ramirez's home, officials found weapons including a British military submachine gun, a firearms silencer and some legal, low-powered explosives.
Demographics
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic / Latino
Estimated Age Group: Adult - Pre 50
Estimated Age Range (Years): 32-40
Estimated Year of Death: 1986
Estimated PMI: Hours
Height: 5'7" (67 inches), Measured
Weight: 158 lbs, Estimated
Cause of Death: Homicide by multiple gunshots to the torso
Circumstances
Type: Unidentified Deceased
Date Body Found: December 9, 1986
NamUs Case Created: April 3, 2012
ME/C QA Reviewed: N/A
Location Found: Tucson, Arizona
County: Pima County
Circumstances of Recovery: Shortly before 8 a.m. on December 9, 1986, a man taking his morning walk noticed a cloud of smoke in the distance. The man went to investigate the source of the smoke, and discovered a burning body on a hay bale outside a vacant ranch house in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road and called authorities.
Firefighters and deputies responded to the scene and extinguished the fire. The body had been draped over the hay bale, which had likely been taken from a horse stable on the property, just outside the wrought-iron gates at the front of the property. Deputies learned that the ranch house had been vacant for some time, and a neighboring rancher was using it to board dogs and horses.
The man was fully-clothed, and although a wallet was found on his body, it was too badly burned to be of any use in identifying the victim. An autopsy revealed he had been shot multiple times in the torso. Detectives were unable to determine whether the victim was killed on the property or elsewhere.
Authorities believe that the victim may have been an associate of a man who had an unspecified business interest in the Southeast Side area. That man, who has not been publicly identified, was the leaseholder of the property where the body was found. An affidavit filed in Superior Court revealed that the leaseholder had "at least six" aliases, and had rented another property in the 4400 block of East Fort Lowell Road under the same name as the South Wilmot property.
When deputies searched the vacant ranch house, they found "a small amount of marijuana and containers (plastic trash bags) that once contained large amounts of marijuana," leading investigators to believe the property had been used as a drug dealer's stash house. Based on the evidence found at the property, police concluded the murder was likely drug-related and suggested the man may have been killed as "either a warning or a payback" to the drug dealers operating out of the ranch house.
On December 10, investigators obtained a search warrant for the business associate's Fort Lowell property. Deputies seized guns, a small amount of marijuana, plastic bags, scales, a cocaine grinder, and a chemical identified only as crystallized mannitol (a cocaine-cutting agent) inside the house. They also found personal papers, address and telephone books, a passport, photographs of different people, and a "name-change kit" inside the Fort Lowell home.
When contacted by detectives, the business associate was out of state and spoke with police through his attorney. He was not considered a suspect in the murder.
On September 13, 1989, police arrested 37-year-old Ricardo R. Ramirez and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder. Police believed Ramirez was responsible for the execution-style murders of the unidentified man and Fernando Sosa Moreno, 39, who was gunned down in his kitchen in the 500 block of West Pennsylvania Street on Oct. 22, 1988.
When police arrested Ramirez, they found a shotgun and 1.47 grams of cocaine in his car. A search of Ramirez's home uncovered a variety of weapons, including a British military submachine gun and firearm silencers.
A week and a half after he was arrested, prosecutors dropped the murder charges against Ramirez without prejudice, citing insufficient evidence for an indictment. Police still believe Ramirez to be responsible for the murders, although it appears he has never been re-charged.
Inventory of Remains: N/A
Condition of Remains: Not recognizable - Charred/burned
Physical Description
Hair Color: Black
Head Hair Description: At least 2.5 inches long
Eye Color: Unknown
Distinctive Physical Features: No known information
Clothing and Accessories
- Gray houndstooth jacket; red striped blue shirt with buttons inscribed with "Nostra es Deus Spes"; blue denim jeans, Pierre Cardin brand; reversible brown and black leather belt, with "Pierre Cardin" buckle. (On the Body)
- Tan socks; black boots, zippered type, "DOMIT" brand with sole inscribed with "Hecho en Mexico" (On the Body)
News Coverage
C.T. Revere, "Charred body is found on bale of hay," Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, AZ], 10 December 1986, 1A.
A neighbor made the discovery shortly before 8 a.m. while seeking the source of smoke he spotted during his morning walk, Alter said.
[...]
The hay apparently was taken from a horse stable just inside the property line and set on fire next to a dirt road in the sparsely populated area north of Interstate 10, Alter said.
[...]
Homicide Sgt. Doug Witte said they may be able to use fingerprints from one hand that was not severely burned.
"Dead man was shot, deputy says," Tucson Citizen, 10 December 1986, 1B, 4B.
[part 1] [part 2]
Sgt. Douglas Witte, head of the sheriff's homicide division, said an autopsy revealed that the man, whose body was found yesterday morning, had been shot several times in the torso.
"We don't know if he was dead when he was set on fire," Witte said. "I would guess yes, but the lab has to say so."
Deputies and firefighters found the body smoldering at 8 a.m. when they arrived at the scene in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road.
[...]
One homicide detective said that someone had draped the body across the hay bale, which was on the ground just outside a wrought-iron gate in the yard of a ranch house.
The house has not been lived in for some time, deputies said. The ranch house area is used to store animals and feed used by a neighboring ranch operation.
"Burned man was shot to death," Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, AZ], 11 December 1986, B11.
Detectives believe the killing took place shortly before the body was found, but the autopsy results, which have not been released, should reveal the time of death.
Witte said there are still no motives or suspects in the killing. It is uncertain whether he was killed there or elsewhere, he said.
[...]
Witte said a severely burned wallet that was found on the body will likely offer no clues to the man's identity.
[...]
"If it's a Mexican citizen, we may have some problems there," Witte said. "And we're leaning toward him at least being Hispanic."
David L. Teibel, "Slaying might be warning," Tucson Citizen, 16 December 1986, 1D, 2D.
[part 1] [part 2]
The killing of the unidentified man may have been meant as a warning over non-payment of a drug debt, or it may have been a way to establish a territorial claim between rival drug dealers, sheriff's homicide Detective Warren Alter said.
An affidavit filed in court said the house appeared to be vacant, although horses and dogs were boarded there. Alter said detectives suspect the house may have been used as a drug dealer's cache house.
[...]
An autopsy showed that the man had been shot several times. Detectives said they thought the body had been set on fire to hide the victim's identity. Alter said the dead man may have been an associate of a man who has a business interest in the Southeast Side area.
While the man is now out of state, Alter said, he has been in contact with the Sheriff's Department through an attorney.
An affidavit on file in Superior Court, asking for a search warrant in connection with the killing and an inventory of evidence seized, shows a string of names associated with the investigation, many of which have been determined to be aliases used by the possible business associate, Alter said.
Detectives traced one of the names to a rented home on East Fort Lowell Road. Detectives, using the warrants, searched the home last Wednesday.
Alter said this morning that the possible business associate is not a suspect in the slaying probe.
Authorities at the Fort Lowell home said they seized guns, a small amount of marijuana, plastic bags, scales, a cocaine grinder, and a chemical identified only as crystallized mannitol (a cocaine-cutting agent). Alter said the finding of the drugs and paraphernalia led investigators to believe the killing was drug-related.
Personal papers, address and telephone books, a passport, photographs of different people and a "name-change kit" also were found at the Fort Lowell home.
C.T. Revere, "Burned man's killing believed drug-related," Arizona Daily Star [Tucson, AZ], 17 December 1986, B5.
Alter said the slaying may have been "either a warning or a payback" to drug dealers who may have been operating out of the house in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road.
[...]
Sgt. Doug Witte said detectives found "a small amount of marijuana and containers (plastic trash bags) that once contained large amounts of marijuana" inside the vacant ranch house.
The name on the lease of the property was traced to another house leased in the same name, in the 4400 block of East Fort Lowell Road, and a search warrant was issued Dec. 10, Witte said.
[...]
He said other evidence found in the [Fort Lowell Road] home indicated the tenant had used "at least six" aliases.
Detectives still have no idea who the dead man is, but Witte said they believe he may have been associated with the lease-holder of the southside property where his body was found.
He said the lease-holder, who is out of town, is not a suspect in the slaying. Detectives have been in contact with the man's attorney and plan to meet with him next week, Witte said.
David L. Teibel, "Murder charges dropped, Ramirez stays in jail," Tucson Citizen, 23 September 1989, 6A.
Charges against Ricardo R. Ramirez, 37, who had been accused in two apparently drug-related murders, have been dropped because of a lack of evidence.
[...]
He was jailed on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with execution-style killings.
Law enforcement officers labeled him as the killer of Fernando Sosa Moreno, 39, gunned down in his kitchen in the 500 block of West Pennsylvania Street on Oct. 22, 1988.
And, they said, Ramirez also was the man who killed an unidentified Hispanic man on a deserted ranch in the 7400 block of South Wilmot Road, Dec. 9, 1986, draping the body over a hay bale and setting it on fire.
The pyre burned the man beyond recognition. He is still unidentified.
[...]
"At this point in time, there is insufficient evidence to seek an indictment," [Deputy County Attorney Rick] Unklesbay said.
Unklesbay said the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they can be refiled any time there is enough evidence for prosecution.
[...]
Both police and sheriff's detectives said they are continuing to investigate Ramirez in connection with the killings.
At Ramirez's home, officials found weapons including a British military submachine gun, a firearms silencer and some legal, low-powered explosives.
