RENEZMAE CALZADA: New Mexico v Malcolm Torres for murder of step-daughter *GUILTY PLEA*

The body of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada was found Wednesday in the Rio Grande near Santa Clara Pueblo, according to two sources who participated in the search crew.

Authorities called back search parties shortly after the discovery, and started tearing down a command post they had established at Ohkay Casino, ending a search that involved scores of local and state police officers and FBI agents and even more local volunteers.

Missing Española Girl Found Dead

The body of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada was found Wednesday in the Rio Grande near Santa Clara Pueblo, according to two sources who participated in the search crew.

www.riograndesun.com

Malcolm Torres’ trial for the alleged murder of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada was pushed back nearly a year Tuesday when the U.S. District Court accepted a joint motion from Torres’ defense and prosecutors for a continuance due to the complexity of the case.

Jury selection, with a trial to follow immediately, has been moved from Dec. 2 this year to Oct. 19, 2020.

The Nov. 13 joint motion stated extensive interviews, medical evidence and digital evidence have been collected in the case. Prosecutors reportedly provided the defense with thousands of pages of discovery—or facts of the case—as well as multiple recordings and a modified copy of Torres’ cell phone contents including nearly 30,000 images.

The parties said they will likely need to consult medical and possibly other experts to draft reports, and will each need to collect additional evidence.

Renezmae Trial Delayed to Fall 2020

Malcolm Torres’ trial for the alleged murder of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada was pushed back nearly a year Tuesday when the U.S. District Court accepted a joint motion from Torres’ defense

www.riograndesun.com

 

[tlorik]

So - did jury selection start yesterday? Anyone know?

 

[kdg411]

So - did jury selection start yesterday? Anyone know?

Per Federal court records the latest entry was 07/29/2020
SECOND AMENDED STIPULATED SCHEDULING ORDER by Chief District Judge William P. Johnson as to Malcolm Torres. Jury Selection/Trial reset for 6/14/2021 at 09:30 AM in Albuquerque - 560 Cimarron Courtroom before Chief District Judge William P. Johnson. Pretrial Conference set for 4/26/2021 at 09:30 AM in Albuquerque - 560 Cimarron Courtroom before Chief District Judge William P. Johnson. (meq) (Entered: 07/29/2020)

 

[tlorik]

SO June of next year - good grief!

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Trial date to be set in trial of Malcolm Torres, accused of murdering stepdaughter

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – The trial for Malcolm Torres, the man accused of murdering his five-year-old stepdaughter has been delayed again. Torres is charged with the murder of Renezmae Calzada whos…

www.krqe.com

Trial date to be set in trial of Malcolm Torres, accused of murdering stepdaughter​

The trial for Malcolm Torres, the man accused of murdering his five-year-old stepdaughter has been delayed again. Torres is charged with the murder of Renezmae Calzada whose body was found in 2019 in the Rio Grande outside of Española.

The case is moving through federal court and has already been delayed several times with both the prosecution and defense asking for more time to gather evidence. A tentative trial date was set for Monday, Dec. 13 but that has been postponed again.

The newest court filing shows there’s a target date of December 17 to set a trial date.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Trial set for Española man in death of stepdaughter

Malcolm Torres, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Renezmae Calzada

www.santafenewmexican.com

Trial set for Española man in death of stepdaughter​

An Española man accused of killing his 5-year-old stepdaughter in 2019 has rejected a plea agreement offered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque.

Malcolm Torres, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Renezmae Calzada, a Santa Clara Pueblo girl whose body was found in the Rio Grande several days after her mother reporter her missing in September 2019.

He is scheduled to stand trial on the charge in March. Online court records indicate a hearing was held last month to formalize for the court record Torres’ rejection of a plea agreement he’d been offered by federal prosecutors.

The terms of the agreement Torres rejected are “restricted” according to online court records, but minutes of the July 22 hearing indicate it was confirmed during the hearing that Torres’ attorneys discussed the offer with him “multiple times” and that Torres “understands that if convicted at trial he may be sentenced to longer.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

Trial set for Española man in death of stepdaughter

Malcolm Torres, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Renezmae Calzada

www.santafenewmexican.com

Trial set for Española man in death of stepdaughter​

An Española man accused of killing his 5-year-old stepdaughter in 2019 has rejected a plea agreement offered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Albuquerque.

Malcolm Torres, 28, is charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Renezmae Calzada, a Santa Clara Pueblo girl whose body was found in the Rio Grande several days after her mother reporter her missing in September 2019.

He is scheduled to stand trial on the charge in March. Online court records indicate a hearing was held last month to formalize for the court record Torres’ rejection of a plea agreement he’d been offered by federal prosecutors.

The terms of the agreement Torres rejected are “restricted” according to online court records, but minutes of the July 22 hearing indicate it was confirmed during the hearing that Torres’ attorneys discussed the offer with him “multiple times” and that Torres “understands that if convicted at trial he may be sentenced to longer.”

They offered him a PLEA AGREEMENT?! NO. Smh.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Suspect in Renezmae Calzada’s death rejects plea deal

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – The case against Malcolm Torres, the man accused of murdering his stepdaughter, is still headed to trial. In federal court Wednesday, Torres rejected a plea offer from …

www.krqe.com

Suspect in Renezmae Calzada’s death rejects plea deal​

The case against Malcolm Torres, the man accused of murdering his stepdaughter, is still headed to trial. In federal court Wednesday, Torres rejected a plea offer from prosecutors. He still has a chance to accept an offer but if that doesn’t happen, his trial is expected to be held next March.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Feds issue new indictment, tougher charges in Renezmae Calzada murder case

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – The man accused of killing a 5-year old Española girl is facing new, tougher charges just weeks after rejecting a plea deal. Federal prosecutors have also outlined a ne…

www.krqe.com

Feds issue new indictment, tougher charges in Renezmae Calzada murder case​

The man accused of killing a 5-year old Española girl is facing new, tougher charges just weeks after rejecting a plea deal. Federal prosecutors have also outlined a new timeline of events in the 2019 murder of Renezmae Calzada.

Malcolm Torres, 29, is now facing charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder of a child, child assault and evidence tampering according to a new indictment filed in U.S. Federal Court on Wednesday. Torres, who was Calzada’s stepfather, has been in custody since 2019, awaiting trial in the case.

According to a news release from New Mexico’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, Torres faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted. Previously, Torres was only facing a single count of second-degree murder.


The new indictment also sheds new light on the case that unfolded across five days in September 2019. According to the latest indictment, Torres is accused of killing Calzada on Saturday, September 7, 2019.

The public first learned that Renezmae was missing on late Sunday night, around 10:46 p.m. September 8, 2019. That’s when New Mexico State Police first issued an Amber Alert in connection to the girl’s disappearance. The alert brought dozens of community members out, searching across Española for any sign of the girl.

At the time, authorities said Renezmae was last seen playing in the front yard of her Española home on Sunday, September 8. However, according to the new indictment, federal prosecutors believe Renezmae was killed on Saturday, September 7, a full day prior to the issuing of the Amber Alert.

Federal documents indicate that prosecutors believe Torres disposed of Renezmae’s body in the Rio Grande on September 8. Renezmae’s body was found on September 11.

Torres remains the only suspect in the case. Court documents indicate the case is being prosecuted in federal court, in part, because the crime took place on Santa Clara Pueblo property. Torres is accused of killing Renezmae at his home. Prosecutors say Torres is not a member of any Native American tribe.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I still can't believe he was offered a plea agreement and what an idiot to reject it, I don't care what the agreement was for, he was lucky to be offered one. Of course we don't know as the terms of it are "restricted"...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Stepfather accused in 5-year-old’s murder pleads not guilty to federal charges

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – Malcolm Torres, the man charged with murdering his 5-year-old stepdaughter, has pled not guilty to his federal charges. Torres was arraigned for first-degree murder, ch…

www.krqe.com

Stepfather accused in 5-year-old’s murder pleads not guilty to federal charges​

Malcolm Torres, the man charged with murdering his 5-year-old stepdaughter, has pled not guilty to his federal charges. Torres was arraigned for first-degree murder, child assault, and other charges.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Feds respond to Española girl murder suspect’s charge request

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – New documents reveal more about the murder of a 5-year-old Española girl who was killed more than three years ago. Renezmae Calzada’s disappearance sparked a mass…

www.krqe.com

Feds respond to Española girl murder suspect’s charge request​

New documents reveal more about the murder of a 5-year-old Española girl who was killed more than three years ago.


According to court documents, Renezmae’s grandparents came home on September 8, 2019, to the house they lived at with Malcolm Torres. Prosecutors alleged that Torres told the grandparents that his stepdaughter had been missing all day.

Federal investigators allege the grandparents called Renezmae’s mother, who then alerted authorities. Torres left the house and was later arrested on an unrelated probation violation for a DWI.

When Torres was in custody, federal investigators say he gave conflicting answers about what happened to Renezmae, including saying the girl just walked away from the house. Her lifeless body was found on September 11 in the Rio Grande on the Santa Clara Pueblo. Federal court documents state a blow to the girl’s head, a broken wrist, and other bruising were consistent with child abuse.

Prosecutors went on to say Torres had been drinking and even messaged and texted people that he needed their help. Authorities then detailed Torres’ travels on September 8 leading up to the call to the police about Renezmae’s disappearance.

According to the documents, Torres went with his 18-month-old son to meet someone at a smoke shop to buy alcohol. Renezmae was not with them.

The FBI says phone records show Torres then went home before leaving again to buy gas and a lollipop for his son. He then drove to the Rio Grande where authorities believe he dumped Renezmae’s body in the river.

They say alcohol bottles and a candy wrapper were found along the riverbank. Prosecutors also say the girl’s blood was found on the carpet of Torres’s truck.

The feds also say Torres told several people Renezmae was dead. He told one friend he put her in the river and he told another friend she died of an aneurysm and was at the funeral home.

The defense is asking for certain evidence to be excluded from the trial and for multiple counts of the indictment to be dismissed. No hearing date on those motions has been set.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Española man pleads guilty in 2019 beating death of his 5-year-old step-daughter, Renezmae Calzada

An Española man pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder in the 2019 beating death of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada, whose body was found in the Rio Grande three days after her disappearance.

www.abqjournal.com

BY OLIVIER UYTTEBROUCK / JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
MONDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2023 AT 6:01PM

An Española man pleaded guilty Monday in the 2019 beating death of his 5-year-old stepdaughter, whose body was found in the Rio Grande three days after her disappearance.

Malcolm Torres, 29, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the killing of Renezmae Calzada, who was found dead on Santa Clara Pueblo after a massive search was launched when she went missing.

Torres faces a minimum of 30 years and up to life in prison, according to his plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court of New Mexico. His sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.

<snip>
“This conviction demonstrates the continuing commitment of federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials to work together to combat violent crime on Native American tribal lands,” said Raul Bujanda, FBI Special Agent in Charge.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Man sentenced for killing his five-year-old stepdaughter in 2019

ESPAÑOLA, N.M. (KRQE) – The man who admitted to killing his five-year-old stepdaughter, Renezmae Calzada, in 2019 has been sentenced. Malcolm Torres will spend the next 35 years in prison. The…

www.krqe.com

Man sentenced for killing his five-year-old stepdaughter in 2019​

The man who admitted to killing his five-year-old stepdaughter, Renezmae Calzada, in 2019 has been sentenced. Malcolm Torres will spend the next 35 years in prison.

Man sentenced to 35 years in death of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada

Calzada's September 2019 disappearance sparked a days-long search that involved hundreds of volunteers.

www.santafenewmexican.com

Man sentenced to 35 years in death of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada​

A federal judge on Monday sentenced an Española man to 35 years in prison for the beating death of 5-year-old Renezmae Calzada, whose September 2019 disappearance sparked a dayslong search that involved hundreds of volunteers along the banks and bluffs of the Rio Grande.

Malcolm Torres, 30, had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the girl’s death in April. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William Johnson, who said the case was among the most difficult he’d handled in his 29 years on the bench due to the brutal injuries Torres had inflicted upon the child.

Dozens of family member’s attended Monday’s sentencing, and about a half dozen addressed the court, calling Torres a “monster,” a “coward” and a “selfish, spoiled *****” for what he had done.

Renezmae’s death was no accident or medical episode, Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Jones told the court during an emotional sentencing hearing at the federal courthouse in Albuquerque. The girl died from blunt force trauma after Torres beat her about the head, neck, arms and legs before dumping her body in the Rio Grande.

“Every part of her suffered,” Jones told the court. “He killed her in cold blood; he murdered her.”

Torres at the time had been home with the girl and his then-18-month-old son and was “heavily intoxicated and not fit to supervise the children,” according as statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in April.

He claimed in a written plea agreement he was too drunk to remember what happened the evening of her death.

Tears streamed from the eyes of the girl’s loved ones as they addressed the court Monday, recalling a child they described as happy and helpful, even as they showered Torres with scorn.

“I want you to know I have no compassion for you, none,” an aunt, Henrietta Gaines, told Torres. “ I hope every time you close your eyes you see Renezmae. I hope you are haunted every single day for the rest of your life.”

“I hope you are beaten in prison,” said an uncle who didn’t fully identify himself. “You deserve no mercy or forgiveness. You know deep down inside you deserve the death penalty.”

The government had considered the death penalty, Johnson told the gallery Monday, but ultimately entered into a plea agreement with Torres which called for him to serve 35 years (420 months) on the second-degree murder charge.

Second-degree murder usually carries a sentence of between 360 and 365 months, according to a sentencing memo filed in June, but Torres agreed to the longer sentence in exchange for prosecutors agreeing to dismiss a first-degree murder charge. As part of the agreement, the government also dismissed charges of tampering with evidence and assault.

He’ll also be required to pay about $9,000 restitution in the case and spend five years on supervised probation following his release from prison.

Johnson also ordered Torres to undergo substance abuse treatment following his release.