Weeks after the murder of Chrystal Snow in July, Snow’s family and friends have spoken out about the loving mother and friend they knew Snow to be, saying they wished they could have done more to protect her.
Snow, 38, was found dead outside her home in Pagosa Springs on July 2 with multiple gunshot wounds. She reportedly called 911 before succumbing to her injuries before the arrival of emergency personnel.
At the time of her murder, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said it was a targeted shooting.
Since her death, her 17-year-old son, Hevon Martinez, was arrested in early July after the Cortez Police Department received a call about “suspicious activity and shots fired at a vehicle.” He is being held without bail at Grand Mesa Youth Services in Grand Junction.
A juvenile detention hearing in July in Archuleta County revealed that he was considered a suspect Snow’s murder. The hearing was held Wednesday to determine whether Martinez would be let out on supervised release stemming from an allegation that he violated a protection order involving Snow.
Snow’s aunt, Laura Stewart, told The Journal that Snow was “unique” and was her sister through adoption. She explained that her mother adopted Snow, who had lost both her parents as a child.
“She was such a sweet woman … very very kind, kind of a dark sense of humor,” Stewart said, adding that Snow had really “found her niche” when she started working as the family services director of the Pagosa Community Initiative.
PCI put out a statement after Snow’s death, sharing that she left “a profound void in the lives of many she touched through her tireless work and compassion.”
“Chrystal Snow was more than just a director; she was the heart and soul of PCI. Known for her kindness, tenacity and unwavering dedication, Chrystal's efforts to support and uplift families in the community will be remembered fondly. Her invaluable knowledge and passion for helping others have made a lasting impact that can never be replaced,” PCI said.
Additional stories and sentiments for Snow were posted on Facebook and GoFundMe following her death.
Snow had restraining orders against her former partner, Charles Martinez, and Hevon, and was working on getting sole custody of their 5-year-old son Helliono when she was killed, according to Stewart.
Stewart shared that Snow was going to have a security system installed at her home because of concerns for her safety, but she was killed the night before it was installed.
“She was really scared,” Stewart said. “In retrospect, I am like, why didn’t I talk her into staying there (Rise Above Violence safe house in Pagosa), at least until we had a security system in place?”
She hopes Snow is remembered for her love of the community and people in need.
“I think Chrystal would like to be remembered for her work in the community,” Stewart said. “She really was passionate about that job and she was so proud to be working for a nonprofit that supported families in need.”
Stewart told a story of when Snow was in false labor and needed to be driven to the hospital, not knowing it was false labor.
On their way to the hospital, they accidentally hit a deer, and Stewart said Snow didn’t want the doe to suffer.
“She grabs this tire iron that I had sitting there, she’s nine months pregnant, and she’s wobbling down the highway because she didn’t want to leave that deer out there suffering,” Stewart said. “Thank God we didn’t find her. The deer took off.”
Restraining orders, though meant to help people, might not work the way they should, Steward said. She thinks Snow’s restraining order against Charles and Hevon put a target on her back.
Now, Stewart hopes to help shine a light on this issue, saying she may even become an activist in this regard.
“It doesn’t seem to help the people who need a restraining order,” Stewart said. It would be nice if, in some way, we could fix what’s broken with restraining orders and orders of protection … it gives the victims of abuse a feeling like they’re protected when, in reality, it really isn’t.”
Days after Snow’s murder, her son Helliono was reported missing and endangered, and thought to be with his father Charles. After nine days missing, he was found and turned over to Montezuma County Social Services.
CBI would not comment or provide The Journal with updates, saying that the investigation was ongoing.
This story was updated to show that Snow was 38 at the time of her death, not 39 as originally reported.
