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Background: The Pueblo County, Colo. courthouse where Solomon Martinez stood trial (KKTV). Inset: Solomon Martinez (Pueblo Police Department).
A Colorado man who was arrested with human remains in his jacket was convicted of murder after attempting to claim that his victim killed herself.
Solomon Martinez, 27, was found guilty by a jury on March 13 after going on trial for the January 2024 murder of Renee Portillos, 47. According to reporting from the courtroom by KKTV, a local CBS affiliate, prosecutors presented DNA evidence, the autopsy report, and evidence from Martinez’s phone that pointed to his guilt. The defense unsuccessfully argued that Portillos killed herself.
When Martinez was arrested by officers with the Pueblo Police Department on Jan. 10, 2024, he was working as a private security guard at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center. In court documents obtained by ABC affiliate KRDO at the time, officers stated that they overheard Martinez talking before they made contact with him. He reportedly said, “I had a hand in my jacket for two days.”
According to court documents, officers found a severed, human hand in a plastic bag in the pocket of his jacket as well as blood in his vehicle. During questioning by police, officers noticed visible cuts on his hands. A witness reportedly showed police a video he recorded that showed the victim’s body, which had been decapitated.
The documents stated that Martinez told police that he picked up Portillos for a sexual encounter on the night of Jan. 8, 2024. Martinez claimed that she demanded to be paid for the encounter and he refused. After that, he said that he dropped her off in the early hours of the morning.
Martinez’s story to police also involved his roommate at the time. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Pueblo Chieftain, the unnamed roommate spotted a blood-covered Martinez at a car wash at about 5 a.m. on Jan. 9. Martinez reportedly asked his roommate to borrow some tools and dig a 10-foot-deep hole, offering to forgive $1,000 of debt in exchange for his help.
The roommate declined, later telling KRDO, “I was terrified. I was beyond terrified. Like, I can’t even put into words how physically scared I was.” The outlet reported that a friend of the roommate called the police.
Portillos’ remains were found on Jan. 9 in Fountain Creek.
Martinez was found guilty of first-degree murder after deliberation, tampering with a dead body, and abuse of a corpse.
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