Jose Duran Jr.

Jose Duran Jr., a 29-year-old Hispanic/Latino man from Fresno, California, was remembered by loved ones as a "happy go lucky soul." On April 7, 2019, he and his father went to help his sister, Isabel Duran, move out of the home she shared with her estranged husband, Erik Ordonez, and their two young daughters. Isabel had called them for help leaving what authorities described as an abusive relationship.

The move took place at the West Shaw Village Apartment complex on Fairmont Avenue. As Jose and his father helped Isabel, Ordonez grew enraged. He retrieved a handgun from inside the home and pointed it at his wife. Without hesitation, Jose stepped in front of his sister to shield her. Just as he did, Ordonez fired the weapon. The bullet struck Jose in the neck. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died from his injury. Ordonez also aimed the gun at Jose’s father, but it reportedly misfired or jammed, preventing another tragedy.

Ordonez fled the scene on foot immediately after the shooting. A California Highway Patrol helicopter spotted him running and followed him to a backyard shed less than a mile away, where he was found hiding and taken into custody. Investigators searched the area but could not locate the handgun used in the homicide. In the days that followed, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer praised Jose’s actions, telling reporters, "By all accounts, Jose Duran Jr. is a hero. He died protecting his sister and prevented her from being shot and killed."

Erik Ordonez was arrested and charged with murder. He was later tried and found guilty of killing his brother-in-law. During his sentencing hearing, Jose’s family gave emotional victim impact statements. "He saved me," a crying Isabel Duran told the court. "That kind of love I will never have in my life, someone who loves you that much that they give their life up." Another sister, Evangelina, shared the devastating impact on their family, saying, "Jose's death broke my father." Ordonez spoke briefly, apologizing to the Duran family and stating that he "never meant for anyone to get hurt."

Following the conviction, Judge Timothy Kams sentenced Erik Ordonez, then 36, to 95 years to life in prison for the murder of Jose Duran Jr.