San Carlos Apache Police, FBI investigate disabled man's murder

Family calls for answers in slaying of San Carlos Apache man

Tribal police & the FBI are investigating the murder of Raymond Preston, a 53-year-old disabled and openly gay man from the San Carlos Apache Tribe. His family believes the fatal stabbing at his home was a hate crime. FOX 10's Justin Lum has the story.

GRAHAM COUNTY, Ariz. - The family of a disabled Apache man is calling for justice after he was brutally stabbed to death in his home in August.

No arrests have been made in the death of Raymond Preston, 53, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. Tribal police said the FBI is also involved in the investigation.

Raymond Preston

What we know:

Preston, a proud gay man, was found dead in his home on Aug. 23 after hosting a gathering with friends the night before. Police say he was stabbed multiple times in the face and neck.

His family believes the murder was a hate crime.

‘Is it really him?’

"Out of all the rest of my siblings, I was very close with my brother, Raymond," said Jolene Goseyun, Preston's sister.

Goseyun said she was in disbelief and had to have her daughter identify him.

"Is it really him? Is it really my brother?" she remembers asking.

Preston, who was also known as "Ray," used a wheelchair as a double amputee. Goseyun said that his prosthetic legs are now gone.

"When he was getting beat up, they must have took all sides of his legs off," she said. "We don't know where his legs are at now."

Raymond Preston and Jolene Goseyun

Dig deeper:

When asked if there were signs of a hate crime, Ricardo Alvarado with the San Carlos Apache Police Department said investigators were not ruling it out, but there was no evidence at the crime scene showing hateful symbols or sayings.

"At this time, we're not ruling it out, you know, just so we would not rule out any type of evidence that we would see at a crime scene or anything related to this," he said.

Alvarado said police have interviewed people who were at the gathering but have not yet identified any suspects.

Ricardo Alvarado with the San Carlos Apache Police Department

‘I had hatred in my heart’

"The individuals that happened to have been there, we've interviewed them on several occasions," Alvarado said. "We do have some investigative leads in the case. However, we don't have all the information to, I would guess, change there from investigative leads to suspects at this time."

Preston’s family is, of course, devastated.

"I had hatred in my heart," Goseyun said. "It was so sad, I can't take it. I didn't know what to think."

What you can do:

Authorities are asking the public for more information.

Tips can be given to the San Carlos Apache Police Department or by emailing tips.fbi.gov or calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.