New Details Released on Double Murder

Investigators in Klamath County are now saying that a drug deal gone bad may have sparked a recent double homicide near Bonanza.

The bodies of 32 year old Everardo Mendez-Ceja and 38 year old Ricardo Jauregui were found ona horse ranch just outside of Bonanza on October 18th.

Klamath County Deputy District Attorney Sharon Forster says that investigators now believe that the men were shot over a drug deal…

“Our investigation has revealed, that I don’t believe that horses were actually involved in this case – it was drug related, it appears to have been drug related.”

A burned-out truck belonging to Jauregui was found on October 6th, about six miles from where the bodies were eventually located.

Mendez-Ceja was reported as ‘missing’ by his family on October 11th. A poster seeking their whereabouts was displayed in the Bonanza area. Forster notes that police still haven’t found a ‘Joaquin Lopez’ named on that poster…

“The gentleman that they came to see that day, supposedly about a horse – and we have been unable to locate him, and talk to him about this.”

Forster adds that Joaquin Lopez is regarded as a person of interest. “If anybody has any information, I would encourage them to contact the Sheriff’s Department. We have come to a dead end on leads, and being able to locate any suspects in this case.”

…And even a small piece of information could provide a big break in the case.

The bodies were not immediately identified due to their state of decomposition. Positive identifications were not made on Jauregui and Mendez-Ceja until late October.

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