Yesica Olivos, 20, was found shot to death down an embankment near Mojonnier and Beet Roads in Walla Walla on the morning of January 3, 2014. The Walla Walla Police initially responded, but the Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office took over because of the location. An autopsy the next day ruled her death a homicide by gunshot.

Investigators believe she was killed on the evening of December 31, 2013, or in the early hours of New Year’s Day. Detectives learned she had been with 17-year-old alleged gang member Carlos Valdez and his associates for a couple of days before her death. Motive was unclear; authorities considered an argument, possible gang-related activity, or a dispute over drugs, and one account said Valdez and others had discussed killing Olivos over a drug debt.

Warrants were issued for Valdez on a charge of first-degree murder and for two others, Breanne Rutherford and Andres Torres-Rodriguez, on charges of rendering criminal assistance in the first degree. Tips led officers to a Spokane motel where the suspects were located and taken into custody after a standoff and negotiations. Did anyone in the Walla Walla area know Yesica or have information about her contacts around New Year’s Eve?