Arrest Made In Death Of Las Cruces Realtor
Doa Ana County sheriff’s investigators arrested a man in the death of a Realtor whose body was found last month at his upscale home just outside Las Cruces.
Mario A. Mendez, 25, is accused of killing Jack L. Hadley and setting fire to the bedroom where the body was found. Mendez was arrested on suspicion of capital murder, first-degree kidnapping, aggravated burglary with a deadly weapon, arson, tampering with evidence, larceny, and disposing of stolen property. Judge Richard Silva has ordered Mendez to be held without bond.
Deputies were called to the scene of a fire Sept. 23 on the 5600 block of Camino Esdcondida after fire crews discovered Hadley’s body.
Authorities said that as part of the investigation, a nationwide search was conducted for a 1997 gold Ford Taurus that was seen leaving the area around the time Hadley was killed. The car was reportedly being driven by Mendez.
Investigators said the fire was set inside a bedroom to cover up evidence of a possible homicide. Reynolds said she was dumbfounded.
After news of Hadley’s death, coworker Laura Reynolds told ABC-7 that she was in the process of scoping out a new property when she saw emergency responders heading toward Hadley’s neighborhood.
“I passed three fire trucks, which really seemed to be going the wrong direction for the area they cover,” Reynolds said. “And I made note at the time that it was really odd, not knowing anything about (the fire). Then at dinner, one of my colleagues called me and told me what happened. … It wasn’t until hours later that I made the connection that (the fire trucks) were actually headed to (Hadley’s) house.”
Reynolds and Hadley worked together at ERA Real Estate of Las Cruces. The next morning she found out the emergency crews she had seen were responding to Hadley’s death.
“It’s just very, very sad and hard to believe,” said Reynolds. “We will miss him greatly. He was an excellent colleague and I had a lot of respect for him, (he was) a super nice guy, and we’ll miss him.”
