Candrick Begay was 31 years old, a husband and father who had taken a temporary job at a salvage yard to make sure his family had a good year while his wife, Celeste, was six months pregnant. On April 5, 2023, he was shot and killed alongside his coworker, Anthony McCants, while working. More than two years later, no one has been arrested.
Candrick and Anthony McCants were assigned to pull parts in the yard at Highway 64 Truck and Auto Salvage, west of Farmington, that afternoon. When they didn't return to the shop and family members couldn't reach them, coworkers began searching the large property. They found both men's bodies on the site. San Juan County deputies were dispatched to the scene just before 9 p.m. and determined the men had been shot to death.
Candrick worked as an iron worker, and had taken the temporary salvage yard job during a slow season in his usual field to provide for his family. His wife, Celeste, was six months pregnant at the time, and he wanted to be sure their daughter had a good birthday. His wife has described him as someone with a heart of gold, the type to take the shirt off his back and give it to anyone who needed it.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the deaths as a double homicide. No suspects have been publicly identified, and the case remains unsolved nearly three years later.
Candrick's wife and Anthony's family have continued speaking publicly about the case, hoping to keep it in front of investigators and the community. "Somebody out there knows something," Anthony's wife, DeeDee McCants, has said. "They just need to speak up. It could be the smallest little detail."
Anyone with information about the deaths of Candrick Begay and Anthony McCants is asked to come forward.
How to report a tip:
San Juan County Sheriff's Office tip line: 505-333-7878