He Was Murdered By Someone Who Called Him Late At Night To Deliver Last Rites At A Deserted Rest Stop

On the evening of August 5, 1982, a phone call was made to the St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe, New Mexico, summoning 57-year-old Father Reynaldo John Rivera to deliver last rites.

The caller was a man who introduced himself as Michael Carmello. He stated that his grandfather was dying and that he would be waiting for the priest in a blue pickup truck at a rest stop area.

Days later, Father Rivera's body was found several miles from the rest stop. He had been shot and strangled. His brown 1974 Chevrolet Malibu had been moved to a different rest stop.

The murder of Father Rivera hit the whole city hard, as he was beloved by many. Father Rivera was born in 1948 in Santa Fe. He was ordained a priest in 1953 and spent his entire career in New Mexico.

"They wanted somebody in the cathedral," said now-retired Deputy Chief Gilbert Ulibarri. "Something in that person's life happened that involved the cathedral and a priest. I'm not saying it was Father Rivera. Just revenge."

On August 5, 1982, at 8:15 p.m., Father Patrick Gerard answered a call to the rectory of St. Francis Cathedral. When the caller requested a priest to meet him at a rest stop near Waldo to perform last rites for his dying grandfather, Father Gerard had to turn him down. He explained that he was partially blind and could not drive at night.

He asked the caller to phone again in 15 minutes, as all the other priests were hearing confessions at the time. So, the caller did just that, and Father Rivera ended up answering the phone.

He agreed to meet the man at the La Bajada Hill rest stop near Waldo. Then, the caller would drive him to his grandfather's house from there.

Father Rivera left the cathedral at around 8:45 p.m. Before he left, he told the other priests that the caller was driving a blue pickup truck.

The New Mexico Department of Justice - pictured above is Father Reynaldo John Rivera

About two days later, his body was found on a deserted road about three miles from the La Bajada Hill rest stop.

His hands were bound, and there were ligature marks on his neck. He had been shot once in the stomach. The payphone at the La Bajada rest stop was out of order, so it was unclear where the phone call had actually been made.

After murdering Father Rivera, the suspect is believed to have moved the priest's car to a rest stop that was approximately 120 miles southwest of Waldo. The doors were locked, the gas tank was nearly empty, and the keys were gone.

Some prints and hair samples were found, but nothing ever came of it. There were also no criminal suspects named Michael Carmello.

At first, robbery was thought to have been the motive for the murder because Father Rivera's pockets had been turned inside out. However, his watch and wallet had not been taken.

Only his last rites kit was missing, which included a prayer book, a communion wafer, a candle, a vial of holy oil, and a crucifix. The police think these items were taken as souvenirs. Furthermore, it seemed that at least two people were involved in the priest's murder because he was large and strong.

Multiple suspects were questioned, but investigators only ran into dead ends. Still, they haven't given up and hope to bring closure to the case.

If you have any information on the murder of Father Reynaldo John Rivera, please contact the Santa Fe Police Department at 505-428-3710.

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