Manzanares, Joseph Felix

Joseph F. Manzanares served in the U.S. Army during WWII. He married and lived with his wife and three children in Durango. Joe did farm work for Clarence Stone in LaGarita, CO, worked construction and bought a saw mill with brother-in-law Mel Tafoya. He began to drink, was fired by his employer, then abandoned his family. He lived for a time with a woman in Oklahoma City with whom he had children. However, her husband returned from prison and had a confrontation with Joe whom he shot 5 times in the stomach.
Joe survived and returned to Colorado after a nine-year absence. He worked as a sheepherder for a time. Joe sought to recover his investment in the saw mill. But the partner refused. After sheephearding, Joe returned to Durango where he was seen at a bar with a large sum of money. Shortly thereafter, Joe was beaten to death in August 1972.
Several people in and around Durango have information but this murder remains unsolved.