Killing of local business owner remains unsolved

While Curry County has seen more and more homicides over the last few years, Sheriff Roger Hatcher said one sticks in his mind — that of J.C. Tucker, who was shot to death at his business on Sept. 4.

“In the last 12 years we have only one unsolved homicide and we’re going to work on that until we find out who did it,” Hatcher said.

“I’ve got a deputy who makes some calls every single day on it,” Hatcher said. “We do have some people we are looking at and hopefully we’ll be able to put something together.”

Tucker, 60, was the owner of Tucker Auto Sales and Tucker Self Storage at 1632 U.S. Highway 60-84 West. Hatcher said Tucker’s relatives found his body at the business after he failed to come home from work. Tucker had been shot three times, Hatcher said.

Hatcher said the Tucker homicide poses an unusual problem — finding a crime investigation lab sophisticated enough to work with very small quantities of evidence. Hatcher said he didn’t want to be specific, but bits of evidence found at the scene could solve the crime.

“Our holdup is getting someone who can handle some trace evidence,” Hatcher said. “New Mexico cannot do it, we’re going to have to send it off somewhere, and we are probably going to find it will be pretty expensive.”

After nearly two decades in law enforcement, having an unsolved homicide grates on Hatcher. Hatcher said he doesn’t like knowing the person responsible for Tucker’s death could still be living openly in Curry County.

Hatcher said if the crime lab can’t shed light on the Tucker case, the only hope for bringing Tucker’s shooter to justice will be help from people who may have heard or seen something and are willing to come forward.

“Without the eyes and ears of the public, we are completely helpless,” Hatcher said.

While the Tucker case is the only recent unsolved homicide, it isn’t the only one in the region. According to 9th Judicial District Attorney Brett Carter, a Portales homicide case from about four years ago is still under investigation. Even though the homicide is a Roosevelt County case, the investigation is being handled in Clovis.

“We believe the victim was from Curry County so it is being worked by the Clovis Police Department,” Carter said.