Custody fight, death threats precede Pagosa Springs mom’s death

A Pagosa Springs mom told her ex she was seeking full custody of their child hours before the man and the former couple’s other son drove out of Cortez and shot her to death, according to an arrest affidavit filed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

Crystal Snow, 38, was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds in her Pagosa Springs home in the 1000 block of County Road 700 early on the morning of July 2.

Her ex, 43-year-old Charles Martinez, and their 17-year-old son Hevon Martinez were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in her death.

According to court records, Snow received a permanent restraining order against Charles Martinez in June after she said he verbally abused, intimidated and stalked her throughout their 18-year relationship and threatened to kill her when she tried to end the relationship in October 2023, according to court records.

Snow also filed a restraining order against Hevon Martinez in October 2023, alleging that he physically abused her.

Archuleta County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at Snow’s home around 2:30 a.m. after someone called 911 from Snow’s phone. No one spoke during the call and dispatchers only heard labored breathing, according to the arrest affidavit.

Police discovered someone had shot through the front window and back door of the home and found Snow dead in the bathroom with her phone nearby.

Investigators later determined that the day before, Charles Martinez had used an app to communicate with his parents to try to convince Snow not to file for full custody of their youngest son. Hevon Martinez also called Snow to try to convince her not to seek full custody of his brother, according to the affidavit.

Police also found surveillance video showing Charles and Hevon Martinez in a white Ford Explorer driving from Cortez toward Pagosa Springs shortly before Snow’s death. They removed the license plates from the car to avoid detection by license plate readers on the highway and either turned off their phones or left them at home.

Several people interviewed by police also said Snow was afraid Charles Martinez would kill her, and a victims’ attorney told investigators that “Crystal told her that Charles said he would come in the middle of the night to kill her and that the protective order was just piece of paper.”