Sheriff says robbery likely motive in slaying

Curry County Sheriff Roger Hatcher checks for evidence at Tucker Auto Sales and Tucker Auto Storage, the scene of Thursday's fatal shooting

The Clovis business owner killed on Thursday night was shot three times and the motive may have been robbery, Curry County Sheriff Roger Hatcher said on Saturday.

The body of J.C. Tucker, 67, was found at Tucker Auto Sales and Tucker Self Storage west of Clovis by family members about 10:35 p.m. on Thursday.

No arrests had been made by Saturday night and officials said they need communty support in hopes of solving the crime.

“We depend on the public as our eyes and ears,” Hatcher said. “If people want to make sure their community is safe, they’ve got to make sure they won’t put up with any of this. We have to have the public’s help and input — otherwise, we’re dead in the water.”

Hatcher said Tucker was probably robbed during the slaying.

“According to people who knew him, he carried a lot of money on his person, but he didn’t have much money on him when we found him,” the sheriff said.

Although Hatcher said he has no description of a suspect yet, he has “lots of leads and lots of people to talk to.”

“We won’t know how good the leads are until we talk to those people,” he said.

An autopsy revealed the cause of Tucker’s death.

The homicide was reported on the heels of two armed robberies Thursday night, but law enforcement officials don’t believe the robberies and the homicide are connected.

Clovis police have arrested a 21-year-old Clovis male in connection with the armed robberies, said Det. David Yoakum.