A federal trial for a man charged in connection with the death of a 29-year-old Taos Pueblo artist in 2021 has been delayed after a prosecutor raised concerns regarding the absence of testimony by two witnesses she says are critical to the case.

Santiago Martinez, who was DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo’s boyfriend at the time of her death, is charged with second-degree homicide. Although the first day of Martinez’s trial was set for Monday, prosecutor Nora Wilson filed a notice of appeal Tuesday.

The appeal is in reference to a previous notice of intent to provide evidence to the court detailing Martinez’s past domestic violence incidents, including the testimony of two witnesses said to describe the defendant’s pattern of physically attacking Suazo, who was found dead near her car outside her Taos Pueblo residence early Nov. 13, 2021.

Wilson said one of the witnesses will describe a time when Martinez pinned Suazo down until he was forcibly removed by his own father, who “beat” him away. Another witness was expected to describe an instance where Martinez choked Suazo.

A new trial date had not been set yet.

Martinez and Suazo were in a relationship for about a decade. Martinez originally told law enforcement he and Suazo were drinking heavily the day of Suazo’s death.

At some point, he said, they went to Suazo’s car to listen to music, but he eventually left to attend to a wood stove. When he returned, he said, he found Suazo on the ground near her vehicle, covered in bruises with blue lips and pale cheeks.

Multiple witnesses told law enforcement Martinez becomes violent while intoxicated. Prosecutors allege Martinez ran Suazo over with her own vehicle before calling three family members to help him, one of whom dialed 911.

According to the statement of probable cause, Suazo’s autopsy revealed she had patterned markings on various areas of her body consistent with tire treads.

Martinez admitted to being responsible for Suazo’s death during an interview with FBI agents Nov. 22, 2021, according to a statement of probable cause. Martinez told officers he grew angry with her for wanting to “leave,” though he did not specify what she meant.

Martinez said he shoved Suazo, causing her to fall near the driver’s side of the vehicle. Then, he climbed into the car and hit the gas. He called it an “accident.”

Text messages between Suazo and Martinez show she tried to break it off several times, though Martinez has said the two were on “good terms.”

“When the domestic violence incidents herein described are coupled with [Suazo]’s repeated text messages to [Martinez] seeking to end their longtime relationship, a far clearer picture of this relationship emerges,” the notice of intent reads. “Rather than sharing a loving and thriving union, it becomes apparent that [Martinez] and [Suazo] were a volatile couple on the brink of a split.”

Since Oct. 31, 2022, Martinez has been on a conditional release, confined to his place of residence with a GPS monitor and submitting himself to substance abuse evaluations and testing.