The Elijah Hadley Case, Alleged Missing Investigative Notes and a Frustrated Public

The case of the shooting of Elijah Hadley has turned into a political nightmare for Otero County Sheriff David Black. Sheriff Black has been accused of being unresponsive to his local constituents and with mishandling the complete Elijah Hadley incident.

The Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office has submitted first-degree murder charges against Otero County Sheriff’s Deputy Jacob Diaz Austin in the death last summer of 17-year-old Elijah Hadley, the office confirmed on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.

AlamogordoTownNews.org and KALHRadio.org, as well a press organizations around the state have kept the story of the families quest for "Justice for Elijah Hadley," alive with continued coverage since the fatal incident.

The incident sparking the murder of Elijah Hadley was him walking with an air soft gun along US Highway 70 near mile marker 240 on June 25, 2024. Otero County Sheriff's Deputy Diaz responded to a call for a welfare check on Hadley. Prosecutors say Diaz opened fire and killed Hadley. Multiple media sources reports on the incident.

A video was released via an information request to KOAT raising more questions. The news report showed that on June 25, 2024 after 11 p.m., an Otero County sheriff's deputy responded to a welfare check on 17-year-old Elijah Hadley.

The deputy can be heard trying to ask Hadley what he is doing on Highway 70. As Hadley approaches the deputy, he is asked to show his hands. At that moment, the 17-year-old threw to the side what looked to be a gun, later found to be an airsoft pistol.

When it was announced that the deputy was being prosecuted there was silence from Sheriff Blacks office consistent with the silence from his office since the incident began. A few days after the announced prosecution Sheriff Black did issue a statement but refused to issue it to local press reporters and refused calls from Anthony Lucero of KALHRadio.org. A press release was issued to press in other markets and that simple press release is below..

AlamogordoTownNews.org and KALHRadio.org has filed a formal IPRA request with Otero County seeking copies of all investigative notes into the alleged internal investigations into the incident by the Otero County Sheriff's Department. There have been reports by other news entities that the Otero County Sheriff's office cannot locate those investigative notes. As such we have made a formal request for receipt of those findings. Upon receipt AlamogordoTownNews.org will release them to the public for review. If we are denied those documents we will then escalate a request through legal means via the Attorney General's Office or Court filings as a service to the public in the interest of transparency of the Otero County Sheriffs Department around the Elijah Hadley incident. Stay tuned...

More News from Alamogordo

• Alamogordo Regional Basketball Results and Tiger Athlete of the Week Tiger Athlete of the Week and regional basketball results...
• Alamogordo Tigers Wrestling Competes Tiger wrestling competes...