Case File · Clovis, New Mexico · Curry County District Court · Trial Pending
Darren Muñoz Case: The Clovis Murder-for-Hire Investigation
Darren Muñoz, 19, is accused of arranging the December 2025 killings of his father and stepmother in Clovis, New Mexico. His alleged accomplice, Julio Zamora, is accused of carrying out the shootings. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and remain held without bond; jury selection for Muñoz is reported for January 25, 2027, and Zamora's trial for June 21–25, 2027.
Defendant
Darren Muñoz, 19
Co-Defendant
Julio Zamora
Date
Dec 15, 2025
Location
Clovis, NM
Victims
Oscar & Dina Muñoz
The case concerns the December 15, 2025, shootings of Oscar Steve Muñoz, 58, and Dina Muñoz, 71, at their home on York Drive in Clovis, New Mexico. Prosecutors allege Darren Muñoz, the couple's son and stepson, helped plan the killings and recruited his friend Julio Zamora to carry them out, with a financial motive tied to money or property expected after the deaths. Both men have pleaded not guilty, and the criminal case remains unresolved; the information below reflects arrest-affidavit allegations, testimony and exhibits described in court reporting, and subsequent news coverage.
Important Legal Notice
The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The information on this page is based on arrest-affidavit allegations, testimony and exhibits described in court reporting, and subsequent news reports. Allegations are not findings of guilt.
00 Case Overview
What is the Darren Muñoz case?
Ref: ABC 7 Amarillo, NewsChannel 10
Alleged Motive
Investigators have described the alleged motive as financial: Muñoz was reportedly expected to receive money or property after his father and stepmother died.
Alleged Plan
Prosecutors allege Muñoz helped plan the killings and recruited Julio Zamora, a friend, to carry them out.
Civil Track
The case has produced both criminal proceedings and a separate civil dispute involving funds connected to the estates of Oscar and Dina Muñoz. The criminal case remains unresolved, and scheduled trial dates could change as litigation continues.
01 The People Involved
Dossier — Defendants & Victims
Ref: Court Records
Darren Muñoz
Son of Oscar Muñoz and stepson of Dina Muñoz; accused of arranging the killings. Charged with two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and criminal solicitation. Pleaded not guilty.
Julio Zamora, 18
Friend of Darren Muñoz; accused of entering the home and carrying out the shootings, allegedly in exchange for payment after the expected inheritance. Charged with two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Pleaded not guilty.
Oscar Steve Muñoz
Victim; Darren Muñoz's father, age 58. Shot at the home and later died at a hospital in Lubbock.
Dina Muñoz
Victim; Darren Muñoz's stepmother, age 71. Found fatally wounded at the home and pronounced dead there.
02 Timeline
Dec 15 · ~5 AM
911 callClovis police receive a call about a possible burglary at the Muñoz residence on York Drive.
Dec 15 · AM
Officers arriveOfficers reportedly find the garage door open and encounter Darren Muñoz outside, who says his parents are inside and injured and initially describes a possible break-in.
Dec 15 · AM
Victims foundPolice enter the residence and find Oscar and Dina Muñoz with gunshot wounds to the head. Dina is pronounced dead at the scene; Oscar is transported for emergency treatment and later transferred to a hospital in Lubbock, where he dies of his injuries.
Dec 15 · Later
Zamora arrestedZamora is reportedly arrested as he is leaving his home, carrying a 9mm handgun without a serial number that police identify as the weapon connected to the case.
Dec 2025
Detention hearingsPretrial detention hearings are held; prosecutors present testimony and exhibits. Both men are ordered held without bond.
Jan 19, 2026
Trial date setKCBD reports Curry County court records showing jury selection for Muñoz scheduled to begin January 25, 2027, with proceedings reportedly continuing through late January. ABC 7 News separately reports Zamora's jury selection and trial scheduled for June 21–25, 2027. These are currently reported settings, not guaranteed dates.
Apr 2026
Estate lawsuit rulingReporting published in April 2026 says a Curry County judge ruled in favor of Cannon Federal Credit Union in the related civil case and directed that funds connected to the estates be turned over to the court registry.
03 The Alleged Plan
Arrest Affidavit — As Described in News Coverage
Ref: ABC 7 Amarillo
Development
Investigators allege the plot developed over several weeks or months, and that Muñoz discussed killing his father and stepmother with two friends.
Weapon Exchange
Reports describe an alleged plan involving the exchange of a rifle for a privately manufactured handgun, sometimes referred to as a "ghost gun" because it had no serial number.
Zamora's Role
Investigators reportedly believe Zamora agreed to enter through the garage and shoot the couple while they were asleep.
Backup Plan
A second friend was allegedly willing to carry out the act if Zamora did not do so. These details are allegations reported from court documents and have not been tested through a completed criminal trial.
04 Evidence Discussed at the Detention Hearings
Reporting from ABC 7 News and NewsChannel 10 described evidence presented by prosecutors at the December 2025 detention hearings, including photographs, social-media material, a firearm, phone messages, surveillance or security footage, and a video involving Muñoz, Zamora and the weapon investigators believe was used in the killings.
1 Affidavit & Complaint
The criminal complaint and arrest affidavit outlining the state's allegations against both defendants.
2 Vehicle Photographs
Photographs of items found in or associated with Muñoz's vehicle, including an AR-15 magazine and handcuffs.
3 Suspected Murder Weapon
A photograph of the firearm investigators identified as the suspected murder weapon, found in Zamora's vehicle.
4 Snapchat Screenshot
A screenshot of a Snapchat conversation about trading a Glock for a rifle.
5 Firearm Photographs
Photographs showing Muñoz with a rifle, and photographs of people holding firearms.
6 Thumb-Drive Video
A video stored on a thumb drive showing Muñoz and Zamora with the gun investigators linked to the case, plus a photo from Zamora's social media associated with the weapon.
7 Phone Messages
Messages in which prosecutors allege Muñoz updated Zamora about when his parents would be home, as described in arrest-affidavit reporting.
8 Surveillance Footage
Security footage that investigators interpreted as showing Muñoz concealing a pistol before the killings. These details are allegations and have not been proven at trial.
Testimony
Ref: Detention Hearing
Weapon ID
A detective reportedly testified the AR-15 was not the firearm used in the shootings and that the suspected murder weapon was found in Zamora's vehicle. Reporting said investigators described Zamora as admitting he was the shooter.
Defense Position
Defense questioning emphasized that Muñoz was not alleged to have fired the weapon, that the suspected weapon was found in Zamora's vehicle, and that the defense was not aware of a criminal history for Muñoz. These points are part of the defense position and do not resolve the criminal charges.
05 Arrests and Pretrial Detention
Detention Rulings
Ref: Judge Drew Tatum
Zamora's Arrest
Zamora was reportedly arrested later on the day of the shootings as he was leaving his home, carrying a 9mm handgun without a serial number identified as the weapon connected to the case.
Muñoz Ruling
Both men were ordered held without bond. Judge Drew Tatum reportedly ruled Muñoz posed a danger and that no conditions of release would adequately protect the community.
Prosecution's Argument
Prosecutors argued Muñoz faced an extremely serious potential sentence and might pose a flight or witness-safety risk. A family member also asked the court not to release him, citing concern for the safety of other relatives.
Defense's Argument
The defense argued Muñoz was not the shooter and said he would accept strict release conditions, including electronic monitoring. The judge nevertheless granted the state's request for pretrial detention.
06 Charges
Darren Muñoz Not Guilty
Two counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and criminal solicitation to commit first-degree murder. The murder charges relate to the deaths of Oscar and Dina Muñoz; the conspiracy allegation concerns the reported agreement to commit the killings; the solicitation allegation concerns the claim that Muñoz asked or recruited another person to commit the murders. Some later reporting also describes a firearm enhancement, with a potential sentence including life imprisonment if he were convicted.
Julio Zamora Not Guilty
Two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Prosecutors allege he was the person who entered the home and shot Oscar and Dina Muñoz. The defense will have the opportunity to challenge the identification, the evidence, the statements attributed to him, and the prosecution's interpretation of events.
07 Trial Dates Reported by the Courts
Curry County court records cited by KCBD reported that jury selection for Darren Muñoz's trial was scheduled to begin on January 25, 2027, with proceedings reportedly continuing through late January. ABC 7 News separately reported that Julio Zamora's jury selection and trial were scheduled for June 21–25, 2027. These dates are scheduling information, not final outcomes — criminal trial dates can be postponed, consolidated, separated, or otherwise changed by the court.
Reported ScheduleRef: KCBD, ABC 7 Amarillo
Darren Muñoz
Jury selection reported to begin January 25, 2027, with proceedings reportedly continuing through late January.
Julio Zamora
Jury selection and trial reported as scheduled for June 21–25, 2027.
08 The Related Estate & Credit-Union Lawsuit
Civil Proceeding — Estate FundsRef: NewsChannel 10
Filing
The criminal case led to a separate civil proceeding involving funds connected to the estates of Oscar and Dina Muñoz. NewsChannel 10 reported that Cannon Federal Credit Union filed a lawsuit involving the estates and anyone who might claim an interest in the funds.
Ruling
In April 2026, a Curry County judge reportedly ruled in favor of Cannon Federal Credit Union against the estates and other parties claiming or potentially claiming an interest in the funds, directing that the funds be turned over to the court registry while the court retained jurisdiction over the money and remaining claims.
Notice Period
People claiming an interest in the estates were given 30 days to respond to the judgment. The credit union was directed to publish a notice of the litigation once a week for three weeks in Curry County.
Scope
This civil proceeding does not determine whether Darren Muñoz or Julio Zamora committed the charged crimes. It concerns the handling and possible claims to estate-related funds.
09 What Remains Unresolved
Can prosecutors prove Muñoz helped plan or solicit the killings? Unresolved
This is among the central questions the criminal court process must ultimately decide, along with whether Zamora was the shooter.
How should the alleged financial motive be understood? Disputed
Investigators describe the motive as financial, tied to money or property Muñoz was reportedly expected to receive after the deaths.
Is the evidence presented by investigators admissible and reliable? Pending Trial
The reported statements, social-media evidence, surveillance material, firearm evidence and witness accounts may all be challenged by the defense.
Will trial dates hold as scheduled? Subject to Change
Criminal trial dates can be postponed, consolidated, separated, or otherwise changed by the court as litigation continues.
Until a verdict is entered, the legally accurate description is that Darren Muñoz and Julio Zamora are defendants accused of serious crimes, not convicted murderers. The prosecution must still prove every required element of each charge at trial.
Sources: NewsChannel 10 · ABC 7 Amarillo · KCBD. This article is for informational purposes and reflects publicly reported allegations and court developments available at the time of publication. Court schedules and case details may change.