Albuquerque, New Mexico Landlord Jonah Jeter Charged With Murder in Death of Missing Tenant Robert Debeary

Albuquerque police homicide detectives have charged Jonah Jeter, 33, with an open count of murder in the death of his tenant Robert Debeary, 52, months after Debeary's family reported him missing.

Debeary's family contacted police in August after they had not heard from him since August 11, according to the Albuquerque Police Department account carried by KKOB. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office took the missing person report on September 1, according to ABQ RAW, which reviewed the criminal complaint. The case moved to homicide detectives after an anonymous tip linked Jeter to the disappearance.

What detectives say they found

Detectives executed search warrants in October at Jeter's northeast Albuquerque residence and on his vehicle. During the vehicle search, investigators found stolen firearms, and Jeter was arrested on separate charges, police said.

The investigation then focused on a residence in the 200 block of Alcazar Street Northeast, near Central Avenue and Louisiana Boulevard, where Jeter rented rooms to tenants, including Debeary. On October 27, detectives found human remains buried about two feet underground in a small yard area on the property. The Office of the Medical Investigator identified the remains as Debeary, and an autopsy found that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.

According to the criminal complaint, as reported by ABQ RAW, detectives accuse Jeter of shooting Debeary on August 12 and burying him in the yard of the home. The complaint reporting says detectives noted a reddish brown stain that looked like blood on a floor inside the home, that Jeter told them Debeary had been evicted for not paying rent, and that the remains were wrapped in a blanket. Those details are allegations in a complaint. Jeter has not been convicted, and the charges are accusations at this stage.

Deputies who first followed up on the missing report went to the Alcazar Street home before homicide detectives took over the case, according to ABQ RAW's account of the complaint. They noticed the stain on the floor during that visit, and Jeter told them Debeary had been evicted for not paying rent and no longer lived there, the account says. Investigators later returned with the October search warrants, and ABQ RAW reported a large presence of investigators at the home on October 27, the day the remains were found in the yard.

The charges

Police charged Jeter with an open count of murder, three counts of tampering with evidence, and aggravated burglary. He remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center. Police say the investigation is ongoing.

KRQE also reported the case on Wednesday, describing Jeter as a landlord accused of killing a tenant and burying the body at the property.