Cloudcroft Woman Arrested in Wichita County, Texas on Murder Charges
Deana Thetford was booked into the Wichita County Jail on charges of murder and tampering with evidence
A Cloudcroft man, Craig Thetford, went missing in January 2025.
Earlier this week, his wife, Deana Thetford, was arrested in Texas on charges of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.
In a statement on Thursday, July 10th, the Otero County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the body of Craig Thetford was found. Officials have not publicly released details about where or how his remains were discovered.
The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
Here’s what we’ve learned.
On May 13th, 2025, Craig Thetford’s sibling, Dianne Thetford Cramer, left this plea on his Facebook page: Call your sister.
On and around May 28th, 2025, a flyer circulated on Facebook that read: “MISSING: Craig Thetford, Cloudcroft, New Mexico. Last seen: January 2025.”
Thetford volunteered with the James Canyon and 16 Springs Fire Departments.
Volunteer firefighter Ali Jenkins, who worked alongside Craig Thetford, told the Reader in a May interview:
“He’s a very good man, he's a great person.”
“He was always volunteering with the fire department. He was always with us doing whatever was needed, whether it was going on a call, helping with inventory, helping move water, whatever needed to be done, helping his community.”
On June 14th, 2025, Lottie Gage of Breckenridge, Texas, emailed the Reader about Thetford. She said that “his family and friends back in Texas are very worried.”
On Tuesday, July 8th, Thetford’s wife, Deana Thetford, was arrested in Wichita County, Texas, on out-of-state charges for “Murder in the First Degree, Willful and Deliberate” and “Tampering with Evidence.”
On Thursday, July 10th, the Otero County Sheriff’s Department issued this statement:
On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Rangers were requested to assist the Otero County Sheriff’s Office, part of the 12th Judicial District Major Crimes Unit in locating and apprehending a murder suspect.
Deana Rene Thetford, originally from Texas and a recent resident of Otero County, New Mexico, had relocated to Seymour, Texas. She was ultimately located and arrested in Wichita County, Texas.
Thetford was booked into the Wichita County Jail on charges of murder and tampering with evidence.
During the course of the investigation, the body of Craig Thetford, who had been reported missing in May 2025, was located. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
This arrest was the result of a coordinated effort between the Otero County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Seymour Police Department.
The investigation is ongoing. No further details are available at this time. All media inquiries should be directed to the 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in New Mexico.
The Reader will continue to report developments in this story.
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