3 Suspected Of Murdering Cloverdale Man Reported Missing

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — Three people are suspected of murdering a Cloverdale man who went missing nearly three weeks ago, a Sonoma County sheriff's official said Thursday. The missing person case involving Jose Martinez began July 2 when a woman called the Cloverdale Police Department and said she had not seen her father since June 29, sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Crum said in a news release.

"She thought he may have gone on a fishing trip but got concerned when he hadn’t returned and his truck, a white Toyota Tacoma was also missing," Crum said.

Cloverdale police issued a BOLO — "be on the lookout" — bulletin, informing other law enforcement agencies of Martinez's disappearance and providing them with a photo of his truck.

Cloverdale police also interviewed several of the missing man's family members and friends. The information received during the interviews suggested Martinez may have been involved in significant marijuana dealings and that lately, he'd been receiving threats.

"... This was likely more than just a routine missing person case," Crum said. "Detectives from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office were consulted and worked closely with Cloverdale PD in an attempt to locate Martinez."

At 6 a.m. Tuesday, a Sonoma County deputy found a truck matching the description of Martinez's parked on Masterson Court and Holiday Street in Santa Rosa. The truck had the license plates removed and they had been swapped out with paper dealer license plates, Crum said, but after running the truck's VIN number it came back as registered to Martinez.

Sheriff's detectives responded and began investigating how and why the truck ended up where it did, Crum said.

Their investigation, which included interviewing witnesses, led to three suspects: Socorro Sierra, 34, of Healdsburg; Felix Fernando Carreon, 43, of Santa Rosa; and Climmie Smith-Hill, 30, of Santa Rosa.

"Detectives learned that Martinez and Socorro had significant marijuana dealings and the Sierra had recently threatened Martinez over a disputed business transaction," Crum said.

Detectives believe that at about 8 a.m. the day Martinez went missing he went Ray's Food Place in Cloverdale, where he was kidnapped from the front of the store by three men in a dark sedan.

"Martinez was driven to the top of Geysers Road near the Cal Pine geothermal plant," Crum said. "Sierra walked Martinez to a remote location by a creek where he shot him to death with a handgun. Sierra walked back to the car where he met with Carreon and Smith-Hill. He drove them back to Santa Rosa and dropped them off."

Sheriff's investigators allege Sierra returned to the creek Saturday, June 30, wrapped Martinez's body in a tarp and put it in his car. Sierra then allegedly drove Martinez's body to a marijuana garden in the 2100 block of W. Dry Creek Road in Healdsburg and with the help of Carreon, rented a backhoe and dug a hole about 5- 6 feet deep.

It is alleged the pair Sierra and Carreon then placed Martinez's body in the hole and covered him with dirt.

Upon developing information about the location of the buried body, sheriff's detectives on Wednesday went there and found Martinez deceased under about 5 feet of dirt, Crum said.

Martinez’s body was recovered and taken to the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office where an autopsy will be conducted.

All three men are being held without bail at Sonoma County jail on suspicion of murder, kidnapping and conspiracy, Crum said.

Carreon has been jailed since July 10 when he was arrested in Santa Rosa on suspicion of drug-related charges, the sergeant said.

Sierra was arrested Tuesday in the Safeway parking lot on Guerneville Road when a handgun authorities believe was used in the alleged homicide was found inside his vehicle.

Smith-Hill was arrested Wednesday at the sheriff's office following an interview, Crum said.

Pictured left to right are: Socorro Sierra, Climmie Smith-Hill and Felix Fernando Carreon (Photos courtesy Sonoma County Sheriff's Office)