Two Artesia men have been arrested in connection with the 2021 kidnapping and murder of a Carlsbad woman.
The Eddy County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) reported on Feb. 26, 2021, that the body of a woman had been found near an oilfield lease road south of Artesia, with foul play suspected. The woman was later identified as 29-year-old Stevi Kathleen Odom-Lynch of Carlsbad.
On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the ECSO reported that arrests had been made in connection with the case.
Jerry Romero, 42, and Jerrold Chavarria, 33, both of Artesia, have been taken into custody and are currently being held without bond at the Eddy County Detention Center on charges of kidnapping.
“These arrests were made by the ECSO Detective Division after countless hours of
investigation that included anonymously submitted Crime Stoppers tips,” the ECSO said in a release.
The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are expected to be filed at a later date. Anyone with potential information is urged to contact Sgt. Kane Wyatt or Det. Richard McDonald at 575-887-7551. Tips can also be submitted anonymously via Crime Stoppers of Eddy County: 575-887-1888 or 1-844-786-7227, or eddycountycrimestoppers.com.
