Felipe Nerio Espinosa (c. 1827 – 1863) was a notorious Mexican-American murderer who killed an estimated 32 people in the Colorado Territory throughout the spring and fall of 1863.
There is no definitive reason as to why the Espinosa brothers began their rampage but evidence suggests it was because the US Army had been tasked with arresting the pair over alleged robberies in the area.
[1] Aided by his brother Vivian, Espinosa began his murder spree in the thinly populated area of what is now Fremont County, Colorado.
"[2] Espinosa sent a letter to Territorial Governor John Evans stating his intention to murder 600 "gringos," if he and the other members of his gang were not granted pardons, some 5,000 acres (20 km2) in Conejos County, and appointments in the 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry Unit.
Lawmen, including Conejos County Sheriff Emmett Harding and 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry Unit Commander S.B.