167 - The Murder of Stephen Sandlin

Trace Evidence

Steven Pacheco

True Crime, Documentary, Society & Culture, History

4.7 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 July 2021

⏱️ 127 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

All of his life Stephen Sandlin wanted to be a police officer. Growing up the son of a cop, Stephen looked up to his father and wanted to follow in his footsteps. At the age of twenty-one one Stephen realized his dream, but less than two months later, he would be violent killed in the line of duty.

On the evening of Saturday, May 7th, 1988, Officer Sandlin was found lying in a pool of blood on the floor of the Mountainair, NM police department, the victim of a single gunshot wound to the head. Initially investigators believed the wound might have been self-inflicted, but multiple investigations would raise a series of disturbing questions.

Was Stephen Sandlin's murder related to a recent drug bust? Was it connected to an investigation into accusations made against the department? Or was Stephen targeted by more than one individual in an attempt to cover up illegal activities possibly involving drug trafficking and local officials?

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Sources: https://www.trace-evidence.com/stephen-sandlin

Transcript

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0:00.0	Without the horn, a unicorn is just a pretty horse.
0:04.0	Which would you prefer your company to be?
0:06.5	Introducing Vorgos, the only fiber network providing 10 giga standard for London's most ambitious businesses.
0:14.0	Vorgos, fiber for your unicorn, built by Vorgos for London.
0:20.0	One calm and quiet Saturday night, peace was forever shattered in a small New Mexico town.
0:35.0	A single shot rang out, and a 21-year-old rookie police officer, Stephen Sandlin, was killed.
0:42.0	From the first moment of the investigation, it seemed clear there was something dark brewing in the back alleyways and mountainous landscapes of London.
0:49.0	This was the first time the police had been in the back alleyways of Torrance County.
0:54.0	Shot with his own service revolver, inside the very police station where he worked, there were immediately suspicions cast in all directions.
1:04.0	Had Stephen been the victim of a random crime or had he been targeted, perhaps by someone he knew and trusted.
1:13.0	Was his murder connected to drug traffickers with deep ties to the community and perhaps even with elected officials on the payroll.
1:18.0	The investigations were massive, involving state police, the Attorney General's Office, the Justice Department and the FBI.
1:26.0	Soon, a twisted web of lies deceit, corruption, and threats called everything and every one into question.
1:34.0	From the chief of police to the sheriff to politicians and local residents, there was no one above suspicion.
1:41.0	Missing evidence, anonymous calls, mysterious letters, confidential informants, and accusations of a cover-up through a county into chaos.
1:51.0	Now, more than 30 years later, perhaps the dust has settled long enough for the truth to be revealed and justice to be served.
2:01.0	This is Trace Evidence, episode 167, The Murder of Officer Stephen Sandland.
2:16.0	Welcome to Trace Evidence. I'm your host, Stephen Pacheco.
2:20.0	Today, we examine one of the most complex, confusing, and frustrating cases I've ever dug into.
2:26.0	The 1988 murder of Officer Stephen Sandland, before getting into the case, just a quick note about the show.
2:34.0	Trace Evidence is a weekly true crime podcast focused on unsolved murders and disappearances.
2:40.0	You can follow the show on social media on Twitter at Trace Ev Pod, Instagram at Trace Evidence Pod, or by searching Facebook for Trace Evidence.
	...

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