Chacon enters ‘not guilty’ plea in charges related to Cheyenne Goins murder

Sasha Chacon pleaded not guilty in connection with Goins’ murder. Courtesy photo.

Defense counsel anticipates offer from DA

ALAMOSA — A possible plea deal may be in the works for Sasha Chacon, 32, who is accused of being involved in the murder of 21-year-old Cheyenne Goins of Alamosa.

Chacon has officially been charged with four felonies, including tampering with a deceased human body, tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse and accessory to a crime. 

During Tuesday’s hearing, defense counsel Jamie Keairns informed the court that Chacon will plead “not guilty,” but requested a postponement in setting a trial date.

“No offer has been made yet, but I anticipate one,” Keairns told District Judge Kimberly Cortez. “The district attorneys are still working on that.”

Keairns also indicated that she had spoken to state prosecutor Paige Hammer, who agreed to the postponement. Hammer did not make any statement in court regarding a potential plea deal.

Cortez granted the postponement and set the next court date for 10 a.m. Oct. 25. If no plea agreement has been reached by then, the court will set a date for trial.

The second defendant in the case, Alamosa resident Elisa Salas, 29, has been charged with the same four felonies as Chacon and was on the court docket for a hearing at the same time. However, Salas, who is in jail in Pueblo serving a sentence on a different crime, did not appear.

Riley Selleck, defense counsel for Salas, confirmed that notice of the hearing had been sent to authorities in Pueblo on Sept. 15, further indicating that it was not uncommon for individuals in the Pueblo County Jail to not appear in court as scheduled.

He made no mention of a pending resolution with the district attorney’s office in Salas’ case, nor did Hammer. Cortez set Salas’ first appearance for 1:15 p.m. Oct. 26.

According to court documents, Goins, 21, was last seen in the presence of Chacon, Elisa and Lucas Salas in the early morning hours of Aug. 8, 2021. After an intensive search, and multiple interviews with Chacon, Elisa Salas and others, Goins’ body was discovered in a hidden grave near Mount Blanca on Aug. 25.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


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