Chad Steven Henneman, 45, was killed by a shotgun wound to the chest during a spring turkey hunt in the Lincoln National Forest near Ruidoso on April 25, 2021. He had been hunting with his fiancée, Marcena Flynn, and a friend from Las Cruces; the pair returned to their truck while the friend stayed higher on the slope. After a turkey gobble, Henneman walked back toward the friend, a single shot rang out, and the friend was found administering chest compressions when deputies arrived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office treated the incident as an accidental hunting death and closed the case. No arrests were made, no charges were filed, and authorities did not name any suspects. Coverage at the time identified Henneman as an active‑duty federal agent based in Las Cruces and said he was raised in Washington State; his obituary noted his love of the outdoors.

If anyone was in the Ruidoso hunting area that morning or has information about the sequence of events on April 25, 2021, please share what you know.