(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said skeletal remains found in a field near Avondale have been identified, and a suspect has been arrested three years and one day after the investigation began.
According to PCSO, on Friday, Sept. 26, PCSO detectives assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force, with help from the U.S. Marshals, arrested 43-year-old Leon Pantoya on a warrant for first-degree murder in connection with the death of 39-year-old Steven Robinson. Pantoya was also arrested for alleged identity theft and theft, and booked into the Pueblo County Jail.
On Sept. 25, 2022, detectives responded to a field in the 3500 block of 36th Lane after a property owner reported finding possible human remains in a shallow grave. PCSO said forensic analysis confirmed the remains were human, and an autopsy determined the victim had suffered blunt force and sharp force trauma, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide.
In late 2022, the unidentified man was entered into the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System database, and while some leads were generated, no matches were made. In March 2023, a DNA profile was developed, but again, no matches were found. A forensic artist created a reconstruction image, which was shared with the public.
With help from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the victim’s DNA was submitted to a genetic genealogy database. In late 2024, a match was found with a relative, leading to the positive identification of Robinson as the victim. Originally from South Carolina, Robinson had moved to Pueblo in 2017.
According to PCSO, detectives learned Robinson had been living with Pantoya at the time of his death in January 2022. Pantoya allegedly told Robinson’s friends and landlord that Robinson had died of pneumonia on Jan. 22, 2022. Investigators later determined that Robinson’s remains were buried on property owned by one of Pantoya’s relatives, said PCSO.
PCSO alleges Pantoya had withdrawn more than $75,000 from Robinson’s bank account, where Robinson’s military disability payments continued to be deposited for more than a year after his death.
“Detective Simpson has been dedicated and committed to solving this case for years, and, ironically, an arrest was made three years and a day since this investigation began,” said Sheriff Lucero. “She worked tirelessly not only to identify the victim but also to investigate the homicide and identify a suspect. Bringing closure to this case is a testament to modern science and solid investigative police work.”
Anyone with information related to this case is asked to contact Detective Simpson at (719) 583-6436.
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