Rancher Robert Krentz received multiple gunshot wounds when he was killed on his property in Cochise County March 27, according to an autopsy report.
The report, by deputy medical examiner Avneesh Gupta, was released in response to a public-records request by the Arizona Daily Star. However, about half of the five pages are redacted.
That's because those sections contained information known only to the killer and investigators, said Rod Rothrock, chief deputy of the Cochise County Sheriff's Office. Releasing it publicly would keep the department from knowing whether information it receives is from a knowledgeable source or just someone who has read the news.
"We have to have a method for screening information out of Mexico that has any validity," he said.
The report mentions injuries to Krentz's torso, but the details of the shooting and injuries are blacked out.
Asked about progress in the investigation, Rothrock said, "Let's just say that it is not at a dead end."
"We have information on hand that has us looking at some people. I'm not going to name names," he said.
Krentz was shot while checking water lines and fencing on his property. He had radioed that he was stopping on his ATV to assist an illegal immigrant he'd come across.
After the shooting, neighbors and law enforcement officials followed tracks, apparently belonging to the killer, 20 miles south into Mexico.
In April, the sheriff's office announced it is looking for Alejandro Chavez-Vasquez of Agua Prieta, Sonora, in relation to burglaries in the Portal area, which is north of where Krentz was shot. The office said Chavez-Vasquez may be able to provide information related to Krentz's murder.
Contact reporter Tim Steller at 807-8427 or at tsteller@azstarnet.com
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