Steven Rios

 

Cases that involve police officers are some of the more interesting cases to me. I do not mean police shootings, although I have done several of those and those are interesting too, but I mean more of the cases in which police officers commit murder or other crimes that they have sworn to help prevent. If you watch a lot of true crime shows, which I would gander that you do, you will often hear how suspects or perpetrators seem to act or feel as if they are smarter than investigators. What I think is interesting about these statements is that when it comes to a police officer being a suspect they are even more confident that they can outsmart investigators. Not only do they think they know everything that investigators are going to do and look into but most believe they can explain things away. Many of them even show up at the scene when it is discovered.

On June 5, 2004 the body of twenty-three year old Jesse Valencia was found laying on the ground in between two buildings in Columbia Missouri around two in the afternoon wearing only his boxers. Jesse was a junior at the nearby University of Missouri where he studied pre-law and journalism. Some of my research said he was found facing face down, while other things said he was found face up. Regardless of how he was laying, one look at his throat and his cause of death was apparent. His throat had been slit so deep that the knife had actually nicked his spine. He was found a few blocks from his apartment.

One of the responding officers on the scene was Steven Rios, a twenty-seven year old married man who had recently had a child. Rios identified Jesse due to the fact that he had arrested him a few months prior. In April the police had been called to a noisy party. Information is confusing on whether this party had taken place at Jesse's apartment or at a friend of his. The police decided to break the party up but Jesse, probably because of his pre-law studies, asked the officers if they had “probable cause.” This apparently ticked off the officers, including Rios, who arrested Jesse and charged him with “obstructing a government operation.”

Jesse was taken to the police station in Steven Rios' vehicle. He would later tell people, including his mother, that on the way to the station Rios had asked “several personal questions.” Apparently Jesse did not really spend any time in jail and was released and went back home. He told others that the following day Rios had come back to his home telling him he had some more questions for him. According to Jesse's friends and family at this point Rios and Jesse, who was openly gay, began a relationship. Jesse had been ticketed and given a summons to go to court when he had been arrested but he was now convinced, with the relationship with Rios, that he no longer had to worry about that. However, Jesse was still required to go to court for the summons and apparently it was not dismissed as he expected it to be, although I cannot say for certain what the outcome was. According to Jesse's friends he was angry about this and had told them that he planned to confront Rios (although he knew him as another name) about this and eluded to the fact that he would let him know that he was sure his boss would love to know his “secret.” So in essence, according to Jesse's friends, he was planning to threaten to “out” his lover if things were not fixed with the court case.

But, the police did not yet know about the relationship with one of their co-workers. Investigators would find out that Jesse had been at a party the previous night and had returned to his apartment between three and four that morning. Around four, one of Jesse's neighbors that shared a wall with him heard an argument although he could not hear exactly what was said. Then, soon after Jesse had been found, although I cannot say how soon, Jesse's friend, Andrew Schermerhorn talked to investigators. He would inform investigators that Jesse was dating one of their own. In fact, Andrew had also had a “sexual encounter” with Jesse and his police officer friend. After the act the officer told Andrew it was to remain a secret.

According Andrew and other friends of Jesse's the officer would show up at Jesse's often in uniform and when he was on duty and supposed to be patrolling the neighborhood. Jesse had been told that Rios' name was Ted Anderson, he even had a name badge with that name. Investigators would later determine that Anderson's name badge had previously gone missing. Investigators gave Andrew a book to look through that had the picture of every officers working for the department. Andrew pointed out Rios.

Rios was brought in for questioning and initially he denied everything. He was brought in before any kind of forensic analyzes were complete. After a while he finally admitted to having an affair with Jesse, but he adamantly denied being responsible for his murder. At that time there was not enough to arrest him and he left the station. However not long later he called the police Captain from Kansas City, some 150 miles away, saying that he had bought a shotgun. This was alarming to the officer and they thought he was suicidal and convinced him to come back to Columbia. Once he returned he was taken into protective custody and taken to a mental facility on a 96 hour hold. At some point he escaped from the facility and made his way to the roof of a parking garage where there he did threaten suicide.

In the meantime while Rios was at the mental facility some results had come back in the investigation in Jesse's murder. It was said that there were some loose hairs found on Jesse's chest that matched Rios. Investigators would come to believe that these hairs (which amounted to 3 and allegedly arm hairs) had come from a choke hold. It was said that it was then “learned” that these were being taught at the academy. I have to say that I highly doubt that this was just learned to investigators or authorities. I am sure there were issues surrounding the fact that one of their officers had allegedly used something that had been taught to him by his employer to commit a crime. It would also be determined that Rios' DNA was found under Jesse's fingernails. It would later be said that his DNA was also found on Jesse's bed sheets.

Steven Rios was arrested and charged with first degree murder and “armed criminal action” for the use of a knife in the commission of the crime. His trial would commence in September of 2005. Prosecutors would allege that Rios had gone to Jesse's home that early morning and an argument ensued. They presume this argument had to do with the court case and Jesse's threat to tell Rios' superiors about their relationship. Prosecutors then allege that Rios' attacked Jesse, who took off running. Bruising around his breastbone and between his shoulder blades, along with the hairs belonging to Rios indicated to them that the choke hold was used. Then at some point the knife had been pulled out and used on Jesse's neck. The defense argued that the hairs and DNA found under Jesse's nails and on his bed sheets were not evidence of murder, but only of the affair and claimed that Jesse's “inattention to hygiene and housekeeping.”

After nine hours of deliberations spanning two days the jury returned guilty verdicts on both counts (first degree murder and armed criminal action). Rios was given a sentence of life without parole plus ten years to be served consecutively. The case was appealed and Rios, and his attorney's won. They convictions were overturned “due to the admission of two hearsay statements made by Valencia.” A new trial was ordered.

Rios' second trial took place in December of 2008. It appears that the second trial was likely much like the first one as far as the prosecution and defense went. This time, after six hours of deliberation the jury returned verdicts of guilty in second degree murder and armed criminal action. This time he was given a sentence of life (with parole) plus twenty-three years. The last information known was that he was being held in a prison in South Dakota and eligible for parole in 2035. It is not uncommon for high profile cases, especially those involving police officers to have them held outside the state for the own safety.

Prosecutors told the media after at least one of the trials that several women had come forward during the investigation of the case to say that Rios had also “hit them up for sex after arresting them.” He stated that there were three of these women “waiting in the wings” to testify if the defense would have attempted to argue about Rios' character. It was also revealed, although I am unsure if it was within the trials, or again just to the media, that Rios had previously been fired from the County police department for renting a storage space under the name of another officer.

Rios' wife, Libby would eventually divorce him but she and her parents continue to believe in his innocence. Libby pointed out, and rightly so, that just because someone is unfaithful to their spouse it does not mean they are a murderer. She has gone on to remarry and have more children and while she “refuses” to visit her ex-husband in jail, her parents take her son that she shares with Rios from time to time. Her parents also proclaim Rios is innocent and claim they feel it is their duty to help exonerate him so they can tell their grandson they did all they could for his father.