The Tradition

In the rugged Santa Rita Mountains southeast of Tucson, Arizona, near the U.S.-Mexico border, 44-year-old Esteban Montaño set out alone on August 26, 2004, for his annual bow-hunting trip—a tradition he undertook with expert knowledge of the terrain. Four days later, overdue and uncontactable due to spotty cell service, his family searched for him, fearing a breakdown of his new International Scout vehicle. Instead, they found his body face-up on a dirt road near his campsite, shot multiple times with a shotgun, sparking a two-decade mystery about a seemingly random killer.

The Search and Devastating Discovery

Esteban, a hardworking father of six who cleared power lines and provided for his family despite losses like their infant daughter's death in 1986, was known for his self-reliance. He knew the pine-oak forests, canyons, and desert plants like agave without a compass. His wife Darlene, daughter Jessica (19 at the time), Sal (father of Jessica's kids), and George (sister's boyfriend) drove his pickup—stocked with jumper cables per his instructions—to a lower campsite off a forest service road.