Greeley, CO – Weld County Sheriff’s detectives are renewing attention to the decades-old cold case of Mario Mendoza, who was beaten to death in 1986.
According to the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, Mendoza was last seen on Thursday, Sept. 17, 1986, leaving George’s Bar in Brighton, Colorado, in a blue-over-white car with three unidentified men at around 6:45 p.m.
On Sept. 23, 1986, his body was discovered floating in the Fulton Irrigation Ditch #2 at Weld County roads 4 and 27, near Brighton. Investigators believe Mendoza was killed and initially placed in a ditch in Adams County before drifting to the location where he was found.
During the investigation, detectives learned Mendoza occasionally worked at Sakata Farms and reportedly supplied marijuana to laborers at the farm’s camp. However, investigators say there has never been a clear motive for the crime, and despite decades of review, no suspects or new leads have emerged.
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office continues to ask the public for help. Anyone with information about Mendoza’s death is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at (970) 304-6464 or email Crimetips@weld.gov.
