Records trace years of violence allegations against José Eversole
By Roger M. Rael
The Raton Range
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — The murder case against José K. Eversole did not begin in a vacuum.
As Eversole’s prosecution in the killing of 29-year-old Hayden Alter moves through New Mexico’s Fourth Judicial District Court, public records and archived court reporting reveal an earlier domestic-violence conviction followed by allegations involving child abuse, another household member and retaliation against a witness.
Those earlier cases do not prove Eversole committed the crime for which he is now charged. They do, however, show that accusations of violence surrounding Eversole existed years before Alter disappeared and was found dead inside a burned vehicle.
Alter was reported missing May 21, 2025, after traveling from Albuquerque to Las Vegas. New Mexico State Police found his black 2019 Kia Soul in a remote area of San Miguel County on June 10. Human remains found inside and near the burned vehicle were later identified as Alter’s.
According to arrest affidavits summarized by NewsRadio KKOB, a witness told investigators that Alter was with Eversole, Samantha Montoya and others at Luciano Meza’s residence during the early morning hours of May 19.
The witness alleged that Meza accused Alter of being a police officer and punched him. The witness then heard a gunshot and allegedly saw Eversole holding a firearm near Alter, who had been shot in the head.
Investigators further alleged that Eversole and Montoya placed Alter’s body inside Alter’s vehicle and drove away. The witness said Eversole later claimed he had burned everything.
Eversole was subsequently charged with murder, arson and tampering with evidence. Montoya was charged with conspiracy and tampering with evidence, while Meza was charged with intimidating a witness. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. NewsRadio KKOB
A DOMESTIC-VIOLENCE CONVICTION
Eversole’s documented history with law enforcement predates the Alter homicide investigation by several years.
In September 2019, Eversole was convicted of misdemeanor aggravated battery against a household member for choking Lexus Eversole during a July 2019 confrontation, according to court records cited by the Las Vegas Optic.
That conviction later surfaced during a bitter child-custody dispute involving the couple’s two children.
In September 2021, authorities issued a warrant charging Lexus Eversole with two counts of felony custodial interference after she failed to return the children under a safety plan established through the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.
However, José Eversole’s request for temporary emergency custody had already been denied by a judge.
The warrant against Lexus Eversole was later canceled after her attorney showed that the CYFD safety plan was voluntary and had never been made a court order. Because the agreement was not legally enforceable as a custody order, the custodial-interference charges were dismissed. Las Vegas Optic reporting archived by Ryan Lowery
CHILD FOUND WITH BRUISES
Less than six months later, Eversole again faced allegations of violence—this time involving one of his children.
Las Vegas police responded to a planned custody exchange March 9, 2022. According to an arrest affidavit, the child told Eversole that he did not want to leave with him.
Police alleged that Eversole grabbed the child around the stomach, lifted him, bit his ear and threw him forcefully into a vehicle.
Officers documented bruising on the child’s stomach, earlobe and eyebrow. Portions of the incident were reportedly captured on a cellphone, and police said Eversole could be heard making verbally abusive statements toward the child and the child’s mother.
Eversole was charged with one count of third-degree felony child abuse not resulting in death or great bodily harm. He was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center before Judge Christian Montaño set a $3,000 bond and authorized his release.
The filing of that charge was an accusation, not a conviction. Its final disposition must be confirmed through the complete court file. Las Vegas Optic reporting archived by Ryan Lowery
MORE ALLEGATIONS IN 2024
Archived reporting from the Feb. 23, 2024, Las Vegas Optic shows Eversole later faced felony charges of criminal damage to property and bribery of a witness through retaliation, along with a misdemeanor charge of aggravated battery against a household member.
Those charges reportedly arose from a Jan. 11 incident, with an arrest warrant executed Feb. 15. The filing of those charges does not establish guilt, and their final disposition must also be confirmed through the court.
A STATE WITNESS DIES
The Alter prosecution was further complicated when 45-year-old Jesse Ortiz, a state witness in the homicide case, died in September 2025 while under the custody of the San Miguel County Detention Center.
Ortiz had been jailed Sept. 10 after failing to appear in a misdemeanor harassment case. He was later transported to Alta Vista Regional Hospital for medical treatment.
On Sept. 14, a judge granted Ortiz a medical furlough, allowing him to be airlifted to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe. He died while he remained under detention-center custody.
Officials said the death was under investigation and declined to release additional details. No reliable public record reviewed by The Raton Range establishes that Ortiz died by suicide or connects his death to the Alter prosecution. KUNM report summarizing the Las Vegas Optic investigation
A RECORD THE COURT MUST CONFRONT
Eversole is entitled to the presumption of innocence in the Alter case, and prosecutors carry the burden of proving every charge beyond a reasonable doubt.
Prior convictions and accusations also cannot automatically be used to prove that a defendant committed a new crime. Judges determine what evidence a jury may hear under New Mexico’s rules of evidence.
Nevertheless, the public record establishes that the murder accusation did not emerge without warning. Years before Eversole was charged in Alter’s death, court records had already documented a domestic-violence conviction and additional allegations involving a child, a household member and witness retaliation.
As this case moves toward trial, the central question will be answered by evidence—not rumor, political connections or speculation:
What happened to Hayden Alter during the early morning hours of May 19, 2025, and can prosecutors prove beyond a reasonable doubt who was responsible?
