According to his death certificate, he died at age 43 years, 8 months by execution (hanging) for a double murder. He had been in the state prison at Florence for 11 months 14 days at the time of his death; he was buried on 7 March 1930.
Rufugio was a miner for Phelps Dodge Copper and had lived in Morenci for 4 to 5 years. He was enamored of Paula Medina for much of this time and had repeatedly tried to force his attentions on her, but she did not share his affections. On 17 January 1929 at 5:30 pm, he accosted her in the street but was told to refrain. He then followed her to the home of her brother-in-law Cepriano Delgada, where she was staying, and was told by Mrs. Delgada (Paula's sister) to leave her alone.
At 7:30, Macias he met Delgada in company with Paula's recognized sweetheart Antonio Lerma. After seeing them, he let loose with abusive epithets to Lerma, and fired shots at them - wounding Lerma and firing through the coat of Delgada. Shortly thereafter at about 8 pm, he was seen at Delgada's home with a pistol in his hand trying unsuccessfully to gain admission; his voice was recognized by those inside.
Macias then returned to the Delgada home at 1:00 am on 18 January 1929, and tried to gain admission by forcing the door and windows. Mrs. Delgada and Paula screamed. Paula's uncles Pedro Ornelas and Julian De Luna, who both lived at the home and were sleeping in a lower room, got dressed, and came up onto the porch to see who was making a disturbance, whereupon they were both shot and mortally wounded by Macias. Ornelas died instantly and fell off the porch while De Luna returned inside the home before dying.
Macias was apprehended by the Sheriff's office at 3:00 AM on the morning of the 18th between Morenci and Clifton and still had the pistol in his possession. He testified that he had been drinking and did not know why he returned to the Delgada home at 1 am. He claimed Ornelas and De Luna had tried to attack him with large knives, so he shot them in self defense. Arizona law didn't allow Macias as a trespasser, in a place where he had no right to be, to stand his ground and slay his assailant, and still claim self-defense, when by leaving such place he might have avoided the conflict.
Testimony showed there was no evidence of a fight and that neither Ornelas nor De Luna were armed. Macias had planned his flight prior to the murder by packing and leaving his suitcase with a friend with instructions to forward the suitcase. The jury found the killing to be willful, malicious, deliberate, and premeditated, and the judgement of the Superior Court Judge of Greenlee County was upheld.
See more details in Macias v. State.
Rufugio was a miner for Phelps Dodge Copper and had lived in Morenci for 4 to 5 years. He was enamored of Paula Medina for much of this time and had repeatedly tried to force his attentions on her, but she did not share his affections. On 17 January 1929 at 5:30 pm, he accosted her in the street but was told to refrain. He then followed her to the home of her brother-in-law Cepriano Delgada, where she was staying, and was told by Mrs. Delgada (Paula's sister) to leave her alone.
At 7:30, Macias he met Delgada in company with Paula's recognized sweetheart Antonio Lerma. After seeing them, he let loose with abusive epithets to Lerma, and fired shots at them - wounding Lerma and firing through the coat of Delgada. Shortly thereafter at about 8 pm, he was seen at Delgada's home with a pistol in his hand trying unsuccessfully to gain admission; his voice was recognized by those inside.
Macias then returned to the Delgada home at 1:00 am on 18 January 1929, and tried to gain admission by forcing the door and windows. Mrs. Delgada and Paula screamed. Paula's uncles Pedro Ornelas and Julian De Luna, who both lived at the home and were sleeping in a lower room, got dressed, and came up onto the porch to see who was making a disturbance, whereupon they were both shot and mortally wounded by Macias. Ornelas died instantly and fell off the porch while De Luna returned inside the home before dying.
Macias was apprehended by the Sheriff's office at 3:00 AM on the morning of the 18th between Morenci and Clifton and still had the pistol in his possession. He testified that he had been drinking and did not know why he returned to the Delgada home at 1 am. He claimed Ornelas and De Luna had tried to attack him with large knives, so he shot them in self defense. Arizona law didn't allow Macias as a trespasser, in a place where he had no right to be, to stand his ground and slay his assailant, and still claim self-defense, when by leaving such place he might have avoided the conflict.
Testimony showed there was no evidence of a fight and that neither Ornelas nor De Luna were armed. Macias had planned his flight prior to the murder by packing and leaving his suitcase with a friend with instructions to forward the suitcase. The jury found the killing to be willful, malicious, deliberate, and premeditated, and the judgement of the Superior Court Judge of Greenlee County was upheld.
See more details in Macias v. State.
According to his death certificate, he died at age 43 years, 8 months by execution (hanging) for a double murder. He had been in the state prison at Florence for 11 months 14 days at the time of his death; he was buried on 7 March 1930.
Rufugio was a miner for Phelps Dodge Copper and had lived in Morenci for 4 to 5 years. He was enamored of Paula Medina for much of this time and had repeatedly tried to force his attentions on her, but she did not share his affections. On 17 January 1929 at 5:30 pm, he accosted her in the street but was told to refrain. He then followed her to the home of her brother-in-law Cepriano Delgada, where she was staying, and was told by Mrs. Delgada (Paula's sister) to leave her alone.
At 7:30, Macias he met Delgada in company with Paula's recognized sweetheart Antonio Lerma. After seeing them, he let loose with abusive epithets to Lerma, and fired shots at them - wounding Lerma and firing through the coat of Delgada. Shortly thereafter at about 8 pm, he was seen at Delgada's home with a pistol in his hand trying unsuccessfully to gain admission; his voice was recognized by those inside.
Macias then returned to the Delgada home at 1:00 am on 18 January 1929, and tried to gain admission by forcing the door and windows. Mrs. Delgada and Paula screamed. Paula's uncles Pedro Ornelas and Julian De Luna, who both lived at the home and were sleeping in a lower room, got dressed, and came up onto the porch to see who was making a disturbance, whereupon they were both shot and mortally wounded by Macias. Ornelas died instantly and fell off the porch while De Luna returned inside the home before dying.
Macias was apprehended by the Sheriff's office at 3:00 AM on the morning of the 18th between Morenci and Clifton and still had the pistol in his possession. He testified that he had been drinking and did not know why he returned to the Delgada home at 1 am. He claimed Ornelas and De Luna had tried to attack him with large knives, so he shot them in self defense. Arizona law didn't allow Macias as a trespasser, in a place where he had no right to be, to stand his ground and slay his assailant, and still claim self-defense, when by leaving such place he might have avoided the conflict.
Testimony showed there was no evidence of a fight and that neither Ornelas nor De Luna were armed. Macias had planned his flight prior to the murder by packing and leaving his suitcase with a friend with instructions to forward the suitcase. The jury found the killing to be willful, malicious, deliberate, and premeditated, and the judgement of the Superior Court Judge of Greenlee County was upheld.
See more details in Macias v. State.
Rufugio was a miner for Phelps Dodge Copper and had lived in Morenci for 4 to 5 years. He was enamored of Paula Medina for much of this time and had repeatedly tried to force his attentions on her, but she did not share his affections. On 17 January 1929 at 5:30 pm, he accosted her in the street but was told to refrain. He then followed her to the home of her brother-in-law Cepriano Delgada, where she was staying, and was told by Mrs. Delgada (Paula's sister) to leave her alone.
At 7:30, Macias he met Delgada in company with Paula's recognized sweetheart Antonio Lerma. After seeing them, he let loose with abusive epithets to Lerma, and fired shots at them - wounding Lerma and firing through the coat of Delgada. Shortly thereafter at about 8 pm, he was seen at Delgada's home with a pistol in his hand trying unsuccessfully to gain admission; his voice was recognized by those inside.
Macias then returned to the Delgada home at 1:00 am on 18 January 1929, and tried to gain admission by forcing the door and windows. Mrs. Delgada and Paula screamed. Paula's uncles Pedro Ornelas and Julian De Luna, who both lived at the home and were sleeping in a lower room, got dressed, and came up onto the porch to see who was making a disturbance, whereupon they were both shot and mortally wounded by Macias. Ornelas died instantly and fell off the porch while De Luna returned inside the home before dying.
Macias was apprehended by the Sheriff's office at 3:00 AM on the morning of the 18th between Morenci and Clifton and still had the pistol in his possession. He testified that he had been drinking and did not know why he returned to the Delgada home at 1 am. He claimed Ornelas and De Luna had tried to attack him with large knives, so he shot them in self defense. Arizona law didn't allow Macias as a trespasser, in a place where he had no right to be, to stand his ground and slay his assailant, and still claim self-defense, when by leaving such place he might have avoided the conflict.
Testimony showed there was no evidence of a fight and that neither Ornelas nor De Luna were armed. Macias had planned his flight prior to the murder by packing and leaving his suitcase with a friend with instructions to forward the suitcase. The jury found the killing to be willful, malicious, deliberate, and premeditated, and the judgement of the Superior Court Judge of Greenlee County was upheld.
See more details in Macias v. State.
Gravesite Details
7748, Admitted 03/25/1929
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