New video raises questions in Valencia County RV death case

Newly released video has pushed Valencia County’s RV death case into sharper focus, showing detectives questioning Dejohni Orndorff after Gerald Marquez was hit and killed. In that interview, Orndorff said she did not know Marquez had been hit, even as investigators continued piecing together how the death unfolded.

Valencia County deputies said they found Gerald Marquez Jr. dead Saturday night, May 9, 2026, near Square Deal Road and Cielo Vista Road north of Belen. Investigators believed he may have been struck by a vehicle, and an RV was later linked to the case as evidence. Local reporting said Orndorff, 45, of Los Chavez, was being held at the Socorro County Detention Center on a $25,000 cash-only bond and charged with second-degree murder.

The case has also reopened painful memories from 2014, when Orndorff was tied to the death of 16-year-old Tanner Woolley in Belen. KRQE reported that Orndorff pleaded guilty in that case to aggravated DWI and careless driving and received a 180-day sentence before being released for time served. Victoria Woolley later described Orndorff as a “repeat offender,” a line that now hangs over a second fatal case involving the same driver.

Beyond the criminal case, the facts point to warning signs that matter in any intimate-partner violence case. The National Domestic Violence Hotline says abuse is about power and control and can include jealousy, isolation, intimidation, threats, and other coercive behavior. In Valencia County, the court’s domestic-violence guidance says abuse can include repeated driving by a residence or workplace, stalking, harassment, or threats causing fear of bodily injury.

For people in Valencia County facing intimate-partner violence, Valencia Shelter Services in Los Lunas runs a 24-hour crisis hotline at 505-864-1383 and lists its main office at 445 Camino Del Rey Suite E. The Valencia County court clerk provides free Order of Protection packet forms during business hours, and there is no fee to file them. If danger is immediate, call 911. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233. When a dispute involves a vehicle, the danger rises fast if it turns into intimidation, stalking, or repeated drive-bys, because those are the kinds of behaviors state court guidance treats as domestic abuse.