ALAMOSA – Terri Erskine has visited Costilla County often over the past 19 years. She doesn’t come to take in the stark, stunning views of the San Luis Valley or the rich cultural history of a community older than the state.

“Every time the name Costilla comes up, I just cringe,” she said.

The last time she was here, two years ago, she was combing 40 acres of the valley with a group of North Carolina volunteers and cadaver dogs, looking for evidence of what happened to her son, Casey Berry. Berry, who was then 25, went missing on Valentine’s Day 2007.

The dogs alerted during the search, but nothing was found. Erskine said she asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to collect a jar of dirt and sagebrush for her to keep instead.

“To have someone missing and presumed dead, it never ends,” she said.

Erskine flew in again this past week, this time hoping to hear answers and assurances at a community meeting to discuss what comes next after a law enforcement shakeup beyond recent comparison.

The meeting was hosted by Colorado’s 12th Judicial District elected District Attorney Anne Kelly, after a grand jury indicted half of the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office, including the elected sheriff, on criminal charges last week.

Intentionally set outside of Costilla County, the meeting was meant to garner trust. High-ranking members of the CBI and Colorado State Patrol attended with Kelly. The newly appointed Costilla County sheriff was asked to leave after brief remarks, so the public would feel more comfortable speaking.

Speak they did.

Some residents had stories of personal vendettas and reprisals allegedly facilitated by the sheriff’s office. One person claimed a deputy had harassed his mother. Another said he was a victim in a case where he thought evidence was mismanaged.

Several people claimed the sheriff’s office could also play favorites.

“There’s a lot of nepotism going on over there,” said Costilla County resident Valerie Dale.

Accusations flew beyond the indicted law enforcement officers to county employees, elected officials and fellow neighbors. With a 90-minute cut-off, there were many more raised hands than chances to speak. The atmosphere was more charged as people filed out of the courthouse than when they arrived.

Shirley Otero-Romero, an educator and activist, said the forum location – about an hour away by car from San Luis, the Costilla County seat – was encouraging prejudice.

“What I’m hearing is that everyone in office who looks like me is incompetent,” she said.

Kelly said her office, which covers Costilla County but is based in neighboring Alamosa, would organize another meeting in San Luis if invited.

Law enforcement help organizes statewide

Months ago, in July of 2025, Kelly warned Costilla County commissioners that the sheriff’s office had lost evidence like guns and narcotics. She said the small agency was causing cases to be dismissed due to evidence violations.

In what she told meeting attendees was an “unprecedented” situation, Kelly’s office announced the five grand jury indictments on March 26.

“We have meticulously built these cases,” she said.

Sheriff Danny Sanchez and former Deputy Keith Schultz are charged with misconduct and abuse of a corpse for their alleged handling of the discovery of human remains on Wild Horse Mesa in 2024.

According to the indictment, Sanchez and Schultz collected a human skull in a used paper bag and failed to secure other evidence, including teeth with dental work. The CBI eventually took over the scene, but the teeth were not recovered.

The other three indictments charge Undersheriff Cruz Soto, Sergeant Caleb Sanchez and Deputy Roland Riley with assault in a February 2026 incident. The charging documents allege the officers tased a man in a mental health crisis who was free to go, resulting in a broken rib.

In the immediate aftermath, Sheriff Sanchez resigned from his post along with some of the other indicted men who were still employed with the sheriff’s office. The rest remain on leave pending an investigation.

CBI Director Armando Saldate told residents at the meeting to expect vehicle decals from other counties when deputies respond to calls. Douglas County, he said, was covering the shift overnight Thursday.

He said that Governor Jared Polis had moved for the state to pick up extra costs, including hotel expenses for visiting law enforcement. The CBI’s three agents in Alamosa were also working on 24/7 standby, with a new dedicated tip line set up for Costilla County.

“I plan to be here frequently,” Saldate said.

In his brief address, newly appointed Costilla County Sheriff Joe Smith said he would only be hiring independently vetted deputies to rebuild the sheriff’s office. As of now, Smith is the only remaining sheriff’s office employee. He encouraged residents to “cut the cancer out.”

“Whatever you want to tell the DA’s office, tell them,” he said.

Questions remain about path forward

Otero-Romero said she was frustrated with the many eyes trained on Costilla County and what she perceived as a “trial by the public” of the sheriff’s office.

“Why weren’t all these resources brought in before this?” she said.

With a population of less than 4,000, Costilla County has one of the highest murder rates in the state due to a handful of deaths. It ranks low among counties by median income.

Erskine hopes the scrutiny might turn up something in her son’s cold case. She claimed that the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office, under a previous sheriff, brushed off Berry’s initial disappearance, failing to investigate. The case was eventually handed over to the CBI and Erskine’s own private investigator.

Erskine said that the sheriff’s office has remained unable to present any helpful files on the case to other investigators. When she called for an update several years ago, a deputy referred to Berry as “that dirty hippie,” she claims.

“He wasn’t an angel, but he was my boy,” she said.

The CBI’s tip line for potential misconduct at the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office can be reached at (719) 631-8550 or by emailing [email protected].

Saldate advised tipsters to keep their message concise and include their name and contact information.