Jesse Valencia
Name: Jesse Valencia
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race: European-American/White
Date: 06/05/2004
Location: 1500 block Wilson Avenue
Columbia, Missouri, 65201
County: Boone
Agency: Columbia Police Department
Cause of Death: Stabbed
Intended Use of Force: Deadly force
Media summary: Married CPD officer Steven Rios murdered his secret lover, University of Missouri student Jesse Valencia. Valencia was found dead on a lawn near campus with his throat slit. Investigators believed that Rios killed Valencia because he'd threatened to expose their relationship. The two began an affair seven weeks before the murder, when Rios arrested Valencia for mouthing off to police breaking up a wild off-campus party. Their relationship included trysts at Valencia's apartment when Rios was in uniform and supposed to be patrolling the neighborhood. Valencia, who was open about his homosexuality, had reportedly told friends that he suspected Rios was married and planned to confront him, and that he was also considering informing the police department of the relationship. In 2005, Rios was convicted of first degree murder. In 2007, a Missouri appellate court ruled that a witness's testimony was hearsay and shouldn't have been admitted. The Missouri Western District Court of Appeals granted Rios a retrial. In 2008, Rios was convicted of second-degree murder.
Unique ID: 3422
News article: Link
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