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The end of 2003 looked rather grim for Nathaniel Duran, who was convicted in the r*pe and murder of 36-year-old Marioara Shand, a Swede-origin tenant living in his grandfather's Ranchos de Taos apartment in New Mexico. Shand was found stabbed to death with her throat slashed twice in the apartment on July 9, 2002, two days after she went missing. DNA was used to link the accused to the crime.
Duran was convicted of first-degree murder and criminal s*xual penetration, among other charges. He was given a life sentence for murder with additional ten-and-a-half years for the remaining charges.
However, as per reports, Nathaniel Duran hanged himself to death inside his prison cell while serving his sentence in January 2008.
An upcoming episode of ID's Murder in My House is set to revisit Marioara Shand's death, the circumstances surrounding Duran's death, and everything in between. The all-new episode, titled Blood Everywhere, airs on the channel on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 9 pm ET.
The synopsis of the episode reads:
"No one knows who would want to hurt Marioara Shand, a shy, friendly woman; then, about a week later, another single woman is stabbed in Taos, N.M.; this nightmare leaves more questions than answers as police investigate."
Nathaniel Duran was convicted of r*pe and murder after DNA evidence linked him to Marioara Shand's killing
In December 2003, a jury convicted Nathaniel Duran of first-degree murder, criminal s*xual penetration while armed with a deadly weapon and tampering with evidence in connection to the death of Marioara Shand. He was sentenced to life for first-degree murder - nine years for criminal s*xual penetration and 18 months for evidence tampering, to be served consecutively.
On July 19, 2002, Duran, then 18, was arrested by the Taos County Sheriff's Department in connection with Shand's murder case. Reports state that he was 17 when the 36-year-old victim was killed in her apartment in Rancho de Taos, which she had rented from Duran's grandparents just days before.
According to a receipt discovered in Marioara Shand's apartment, she purchased cleaning supplies and ran other errands on July 6, around 8.20 pm but failed to report to work the following morning. She was found dead on July 9. She sustained 14 stab wounds, and her throat was slashed twice. Moreover, she was r*ped, and the crime scene suggested a struggle.
Testimony during Duran' trial revealed that on the morning of July 7, Shand went to pick up Nathaniel Duran before going missing. Prosecutors argued,
"Marioara's struggle for life will tell you what happened. The DNA will tell you what hap
However, Duran's defense team denied that the DNA evidence in the case matched the accused and claimed that an investigation into his possessions failed to produce any blood evidence connecting him to the crime.
The defense also argued that "statements made to sheriff's deputies were extremely vague" and did not amount to a confession by any means, further adding that "mistakes were made at the most crucial moment."
Duran's involvement in the crime was determined through DNA testing of semen samples found on Shand's inner thigh. When arrested, Duran, who was 17 at the time, admitted to having consensual s*x with the victim but denied any involvement in her death.
Nathaniel Duran's death at the New Mexico State Penitentiary in Santa Fe was ruled as suicide
In 2003, a jury found Nathaniel Duran guilty of first-degree murder, and the following March, he was handed a life sentence plus additional 10-and-a-half years.
Sadly, early on the morning of January 21, 2008, guards at the New Mexico State Penitentiary in Santa Fe discovered Duran's body in his cell. Reports state that sometime around 3 am, the 23-year-old convict hung himself with a bed sheet. Prison officers found him in his maximum security cell during a count.
According to Taos News, State Penitentiary Deputy Warden Joni Brown stated:
"He [Nathaniel Duran] was in a level-six super-maximum security facility, which means that he had a single cell with solid door and a small window. He was found unresponsive sitting on the desk with a sheet around his neck and paramedics pronounced him dead at 5 am."
Murder in My House on ID airs with a new episode this Tuesday at 9 pm ET.
