Wind River Man Charged with First-Degree Murder in Alleged Retaliation Ambush

A Fremont County man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a Riverton man on the Wind River Reservation, nearly 10 months after the victim’s body was found in his truck.

Jose A. Gonzalez, born in 1971, was bound over to Fremont County District Court on Friday. Prosecutors allege he lured Rex Allen Lofts to a property known as “The Farm” under false pretenses, where five other people were waiting to ambush him.

According to an affidavit from Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Agent Kingston Cole, the killing stemmed from an alleged domestic violence incident. Lofts was accused of beating a woman who was Gonzalez’s girlfriend and the aunt of another suspect. The woman was later seen with bruises and a bleeding nose.

Gonzalez allegedly convinced Lofts to drive to The Farm by telling him the woman wanted to see him. When they arrived, others were waiting. Gonzalez told investigators that when Lofts locked his truck door, someone fired a shot into the ground, and then “the shooting just started.” Gonzalez said he rolled out of the truck and fled.

Lofts’ body was found in his truck on April 21, 2025, with two gunshot wounds. His pockets were turned out, and approximately $90 and drugs were reportedly taken.

While Gonzalez is the only person charged so far, interviews with confidential informants point to others being involved. One informant said another man, identified as EE, admitted he “had done it” and “took him out” in retaliation for the assault on his aunt. EE allegedly told investigators the group’s intention was to scare Lofts, not kill him.

Physical evidence ties Gonzalez to the crime scene: his DNA was found on the truck’s steering wheel and on Lofts’ turned-out pockets, contradicting Gonzalez’s claim he had been only a passenger.

Text messages obtained by investigators showed one suspect was asked about Lofts’ disappearance months before the body was found. The response: “I can’t say anything about that but that should tell you enough.”

If convicted of first-degree murder, Gonzalez faces life in prison.