Raymond “Buster” Gutierrez, a man devoted to his family and known for his enjoyment of life’s finer things, was a lifelong resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Born on March 13, 1982, the 32-year-old Hispanic man loved Cadillacs, music, and was a diehard fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Above all, he was deeply committed to his children, Anthony, Dominic, and Antoinette. His obituary remembers a man who loved his family profoundly, and he is survived by his children, a stepson, siblings, and numerous other relatives and friends who felt his loss deeply.
The night of Wednesday, February 18, 2015, brought a violent end to Gutierrez’s life. Around 10 p.m., residents in the 8900 block of Cloudy Road NW heard a disturbance followed by the sound of gunfire. A silver pickup truck then crashed into a backyard. When Albuquerque Police Department officers arrived, they found Raymond Gutierrez inside the truck. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The initial investigation left police without suspects or anyone in custody, prompting a public appeal for information.
For two years, the investigation into Gutierrez's murder continued without a public breakthrough. In March 2017, the Albuquerque Police Department highlighted his case, along with two other unsolved homicides, releasing his photo with his family's permission in a renewed plea for leads from the community. Detectives stated they had worked all available leads but had not yet identified a suspect. The family remained hopeful that new information would emerge to bring them closure.
A significant development occurred in April 2017 when police arrested Gutierrez’s 40-year-old fiancée, Christy Vasquez, and charged her with his murder. According to newly unsealed court documents and news reports at the time, investigators alleged that Vasquez had orchestrated the killing, paying a hitman $20,000 to carry out the crime. Witnesses, including Vasquez's own mother, reportedly testified that Vasquez had confessed to her role in the murder. One of Gutierrez's relatives, Lucia Sprunk, told reporters that ever since Vasquez entered his life, things had gone "downhill."
The case against Christy Vasquez, however, quickly encountered a major obstacle. Just days after her arrest, she was released from jail. Reports indicated that a key witness failed to appear to testify at a grand jury hearing, which prevented the district attorney's office from moving forward with the prosecution at that time. The court documents in the case had been sealed to protect witnesses, and it was stated that the DA's office would determine the next steps.
Following Vasquez's release in April 2017, the public record of the legal proceedings goes silent. It is unclear if the charges were formally dismissed or if any further action was taken. The identity of the person who pulled the trigger, and who Vasquez allegedly hired, has never been publicly released. As of the latest available information, no one is in custody for the murder of Raymond Gutierrez, and the case remains effectively unsolved, leaving his loved ones still waiting for justice. Police have previously urged anyone with information, no matter how small the detail, to contact Albuquerque Crime Stoppers.
