Suvechha Sarkar
The community of Taos, New Mexico, was rocked to its core when the remains of 33-year-old Roxanne Marie Houston, affectionately known as Roxy, were discovered in December 2014. It was soon followed by an investigation that revealed a person who lived close to home was responsible for her murder. The case is revisited in Investigation Discovery’s ‘Murder in the Heartland: Witch Hunter.’ The episode delves deeper into the circumstances that led to her murder. It also features interviews with her neighbors, friends, and the law enforcement officials who helped bring the killer to justice.
Roxanne Houston’s Remains Were Found Six Months Later on a Hiking Trail
Roxanne Marie Houston arrived in the world as a ray of sunshine on March 17, 1981. Although there isn’t much information available about her biological parents, a report states that she had adoptive parents and originally hailed from Colorado Springs, Colorado. According to that report, in her adulthood, she welcomed her four children into her life. The report further indicates that due to her alleged struggle with mental illness, her children used to live with her estranged adoptive parents. At some point, Roxy crossed paths with Vernon McCune, and they soon began dating. Following that, they moved to Taos, New Mexico, and settled down there. Officials stated on the show that one of Vernon’s mutual friends eventually introduced him and Roxy to Johnny Hanson.
Unfortunately, Vernon and Roxy’s relationship didn’t work out. She once again found love in Johnny. They began living together at her residence in Taos, and Vernon reportedly moved out. Things seemed to be going perfectly when Roxy’s life turned upside down in June 2014. Her friend, Betty Harper, AKA Sunshine, had last seen Roxy on that fateful day and had reportedly seen her leaving with a backpack. Shortly after, Johnny realized that Roxy was nowhere to be found. He grew concerned and reported her missing in June 2014. On December 25, 2014, the authorities were alerted by two neighbors in the Taos area when they were out on a hiking trail with their dogs. They informed the officials that their dogs had dug up a shallow grave, uncovering what was likely a human bone and a burnt brassiere.
By December 28, the skeletal remains were confirmed to be of a woman. The experts observed that the remains were almost decomposed, but her forehead reportedly had an injury. The autopsy reportedly revealed that the wound was from a bullet projectile, which was still lodged in her head. It was from a 7.62 caliber handgun, which is uncommon but commercially available. According to official records, her cause of death was determined to be from a single gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was homicide. Investigators searched the recent missing person’s report, which revealed information about Roxy. When her parents were contacted, they provided the experts with her old CT scan report, which turned out to be a match to the remains discovered. Those were identified as those of Roxy in January 2015.
Officials Located the Killer at a Shelter, Hiding Under a False Name
As the missing person’s investigation began, officials learned from Sunshine that on the day Roxy was last seen, she had told Sunshine that she and Johnny had fought. In Sunshine’s statement, she reportedly told the detectives that since Johnny wasn’t home after the fight on June 13, 2014, Roxy decided to meet Vernon in town, from where they would supposedly travel to Colorado Springs, and then Roxy would hitchhike back to New Mexico. According to reports, the authorities considered the possibility of jealousy and questioned Johnny, who claimed that he believed Roxy had broken up with him and left. However, he reportedly informed them that another man, Ivan, had also lived at their property, and he reportedly had a firearm. When investigators questioned Ivan, he denied having any involvement.
According to police records, Ivan claimed he only had a .22 caliber shotgun and possessed no firearms. As the investigation went on, officials tracked down Vernon in prison, who was soon ruled out as a suspect since he had an alibi. However, reports state that he informed them that Ivan actually had a handgun. Ultimately, court records state that investigators discovered Ivan possessed a 7.62 caliber handgun, and he had sold it to another person. However, when forensic experts tested the firearm, the results couldn’t determine whether it was or wasn’t the same weapon used to kill Roxy. Ivan was again brought in for questioning, during which he claimed that while walking on a hiking trail, he had found a partially burnt brassiere and a bone back in June 2014, which he allegedly thought belonged to an animal.
Ivan was again released and reportedly asked to come back for questioning. However, according to investigative reports, Ivan never came back and fled the town. After being on the run for around a month, he was finally found and identified through his tattoo at a men’s shelter in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Reports state that he was living there under the alias Joseph Richmond. Ivan was arrested in February 2015 and charged with first-degree murder. Official reports further indicate that following his arrest, he claimed that he was schizophrenic and might’ve killed Roxy, allegedly during one of his episodes. As per court records, he had told one of his cellmates that he believed Roxy was a witch and had cast a curse on him. Additionally, authorities uncovered several of his sketches, which reportedly resembled a witch hunt.
Ivan Dennings Cales is Currently Incarcerated at a New Mexico Prison Facility
The jury trial of Ivan began in March 2016, during which the prosecutors presented several witnesses. They testified that Ivan believed Roxy had put a curse on him, and he allegedly needed to kill the witch to end the curse. They also presented the evidence that Ivan possessed a handgun that was similar in class and markings to the bullet recovered from Roxy’s skull. Additionally, the prosecution emphasized that he lied to the detectives about owning a gun and fled the area, following which he had reportedly changed his appearance. On the other hand, the defense claimed that there was no direct evidence connecting Ivan to the crime.
The defense alleged that Johnny and Vernon had motives rooted in jealousy and personal conflicts. On March 18, 2016, the jury found Ivan guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for murder, plus a 3-year term each for two counts of tampering on May 12, 2016. Ivan had appealed his conviction to the New Mexico Supreme Court, arguing that his trial counsel’s assistance was ineffective and the evidence was insufficient. However, the court affirmed both his convictions on July 16, 2018. As of writing, Ivan is serving his sentence at the Penitentiary of New Mexico South Facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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