SANTA FE, N.M. – New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard is calling on state and federal authorities to conduct a thorough criminal investigation into a disturbing allegation connected to Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch property in Santa Fe County, as a newly formed bipartisan House investigatory subcommittee begins work aimed at documenting what occurred in New Mexico during Epstein’s time in the state.
In a letter addressed to New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and Ryan Ellison, Garcia Richard requested that the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Mexico Department of Justice ensure a full investigation into an allegation that two girls were buried in the hills surrounding Zorro Ranch.
The allegation, according to the Land Commissioner’s letter, surfaced in connection with a recently publicized anonymous email referenced in newly released federal materials.
“Given all that has been learned about Epstein’s crimes so far, it is imperative that the proper authorities conduct a thorough criminal investigation into these claims about the ranch,” Garcia Richard said in a public statement accompanying the letter. She emphasized that the New Mexico State Land Office does not have authority to investigate criminal conduct, but said the public deserves clarity and that her agency is prepared to assist law enforcement.
Garcia Richard’s letter also requests clarification regarding whether the burial allegation has been investigated previously and, if so, what the results were.
State Trust Land Leases Near the Ranch Cited in Letter
Garcia Richard said Epstein’s company, Cypress Inc., held two state land leases in the vicinity of Zorro Ranch that were issued in 1993. According to the Land Commissioner, those leases remained in place until her office terminated them in 2019 after they came to her attention.
The letter states that on July 16, 2019, the State Land Office proactively provided the New Mexico Department of Justice with records related to the Epstein leases and requested notification of any evidence of illegal conduct on state trust land.
“It is important that NMSLO be informed of any wrongdoing that may have occurred on lands the agency is responsible for managing,” the letter states. Garcia Richard also wrote that the State Land Office is committed to assisting an investigation “in any way possible,” including providing access to state lands adjacent to the former ranch property.
Bipartisan House Subcommittee Begins Inquiry
The Land Commissioner’s call comes as the four members of New Mexico’s Jeffrey Epstein “truth commission” – formally created as a House investigatory subcommittee – held their first meeting Tuesday. In the coming months, members said the commission expects to publish a public-facing website, launch a live tip line and produce an investigative report.
Commission Chair Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, said the panel’s goal is to assemble a fuller public record of what took place in New Mexico and the actions or inactions of local and state authorities during Epstein’s presence in the state. Romero said the commission has already heard from survivors who were abused at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch near Stanley. The ranch sold in 2023, and Epstein purchased the property from former New Mexico Gov. Bruce King in 1993.
“This truth commission will finally fill in the gaps for what we need to know as the public…so we can learn from them and prevent these atrocities from taking place ever again in this state,” Romero said during a Tuesday news conference ahead of the commission’s first meeting.
Commission members said the subcommittee will operate with a $2 million budget, with efforts underway to hire investigators, legal experts and support staff. Members said they plan to coordinate their work with the New Mexico Department of Justice.
Romero said the commission will meet publicly on an as-needed basis. She also said documents will be posted to the commission’s public website when all four commissioners agree to release them.
Who is on the Commission?
The commission includes two Democrats and two Republicans, a structure members described as intentional amid national political polarization surrounding Epstein-related material.
Members of the commission are:
• Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, an attorney • Rep. William “Bill” Hall, R-Aztec, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent
• Rep. Andrea Reeb, R-Clovis, an attorney who has prosecuted crimes against children
• Rep. Marianna Anaya, D-Albuquerque, a former deputy director for ProgressNow New Mexico and an advocate for abuse survivors “Keep the politics out of it,” Romero said, adding that the focus is on establishing facts and building a record.
Congressional Involvement and Public Pressure
Members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation have also weighed in as the state inquiry begins.
U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., who serves on a federal committee that has released documents from the 2019 federal sex trafficking case against Epstein, said state leaders are stepping up in an area where she believes federal action has fallen short. Stansbury said the state process is intended to create an avenue for survivors and witnesses to come forward and for the public to learn why systems failed.
Romero, who championed the proposal to create the state commission, is also expected to appear at the State of the Union events in Washington, D.C., as a guest of Stansbury alongside survivors, according to the account provided. Another member of the New Mexico delegation, U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, announced that one of her guests would be Elizabeth Stein, an Epstein survivor and human trafficking specialist described as a prominent voice calling for transparency and accountability in the case. Leger Fernández also announced she would not attend the president’s address and instead participate in alternative programming.