Custody fight, death threats preceded Pagosa Springs mom’s fatal shooting, police say

A Pagosa Springs mom told her ex she was seeking full custody of their child hours before the man and the former couple’s other son drove from Cortez and shot her to death, according to an arrest affidavit filed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Chrystal Snow, 38, was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in her Pagosa Springs home in the 1000 block of County Road 700 during the early hours of July 2.

Her ex, 43-year-old Charles Martinez, and their 17-year-old son, Hevon Martinez, were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in her death.

Snow was granted a permanent restraining order against Charles Martinez in June after she alleged he verbally abused, intimidated and harassed her throughout their 18-year relationship and threatened to kill her when she tried to end the relationship in October 2023, according to court records.

Snow also filed a restraining order against Hevon Martinez in October 2023, alleging he was physically abusing her.

Archuleta County sheriff’s deputies responded to Snow’s home at around 2:30 a.m. after someone called 911 from Snow’s phone. No one spoke during the call and dispatchers could only hear labored breathing, according to the arrest affidavit.

Deputies discovered someone had shot through the front window and back door of the home and found Snow dead in the bathroom with her phone nearby.

Investigators later determined that the day before, Charles Martinez used a parenting communication app to try to convince Snow not to file for full custody of their youngest son. Hevon Martinez also called Snow to try to convince her not to seek full custody of his brother, according to the affidavit.

Police also found surveillance video that showed Charles and Hevon Martinez in a white Ford Explorer driving from Cortez toward Pagosa Springs shortly before Snow’s death, that they removed the vehicle’s license plates to avoid detection on a highway license plate reader and either turned off their phones or left them at home.

Multiple people interviewed by police also stated Snow was afraid Charles Martinez would kill her, and a victim advocate told investigators that “Chrystal told her that Charles said he would come in the middle of the night to kill her and that a protection order was just a piece of paper.”

Hevon Martinez had also previously threatened to kill his mother, according to the affidavit.

Investigators also determined that blood stains found around Snow’s home after her death likely belonged to Hevon Martinez, according to DNA analysis.

Detectives never interviewed Charles and Hevon Martinez during the investigation because they both contacted attorneys on the day of Snow’s death and refused to meet with CBI agents.

Both Hevon and Christopher Martinez are set to appear in court Friday.

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