Taos Pueblo Man Sentenced for Killing Indigenous Artist DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo

ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos Pueblo man was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in federal prison for the November 2021 killing of his longtime girlfriend, DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo, a Taos Pueblo woman, during a domestic-violence incident.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, in the early morning hours of November 13, 2021, Santiago Martinez, 33, killed Suazo during an argument outside their shared home on the Taos Pueblo. The couple had been listening to music when DeAnna again expressed her long-stated desire to end their romantic relationship, which she had often done before.

The argument escalated into a physical altercation during which Martinez ripped DeAnna’s gauge earring from her ear and pushed DeAnna out of her car. Rather than disengage, Martinez entered the driver’s seat of DeAnna’s SUV, put her car in gear, and intentionally ran DeAnna over. Martinez then called his family, rather than alerting police, which diminished any chance that DeAnna could have survived. DeAnna died from mechanical asphyxia and blunt trauma caused by being run over.

Martinez later acknowledged that although he had consumed alcohol, he knew what he was doing and knew it was wrong.

DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo was a Diné and Taos Pueblo artist whose work celebrated Indigenous identity, strength, and resilience. Her paintings were exhibited nationwide, including at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. In 2022, the Institute of American Indian Arts established the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Fund to support Indigenous women artists, honoring her life, talent, and lasting impact.

David Gery Suazo

David Gery Suazo

On March 28, 2025, Martinez pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to three years of supervised release.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary C. Jones and Nora Wilson prosecuted the case.