The person at the center of this case
One male victim (deceased from stab wounds); one male survivor
Homicide · Open - Fugitive at Large
27 years waiting · since 1999
JOEL EMILIANO CARRANZA
Justice for One male victim (deceased from stab wounds); one male survivor — the trail went cold in 1999, but the truth hasn't.
Start here
Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Where is Carranza currently located? He is believed to be in Mexico, possibly in Aguascalientes or Morelia, Michoacán.
👤
person
Lead #2Who are the three accomplices in the attack? Their identities and current whereabouts remain unknown.
📞
contact
Lead #3Carranza may be seen with his father, Emiliano Carranza, age 58. Has anyone spotted them together in Mexico?
On January 1, 1999, Joel Emiliano Carranza and three accomplices allegedly attacked two men walking on a street in Campbell, California, in retaliation for an altercation involving one of Carranza's relatives from nearly a year prior. One victim died from multiple stab wounds to the chest, while the other survived. Carranza fled and remains at large, believed to be hiding in Mexico, making this a decades-old unsolved fugitive case with a $5,000 reward.
Case
#1007
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation); Santa Clara County Superior Court; U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Try asking
Claim this imported case
A one-time $10 claim transfers this imported case workspace to your account. You get 10 uploads for this case, 25 daily AI questions for this case, and public tips with files route to you.
10 uploads25 AI questions/day
This does not start a subscription. When the included limits are reached, the Personal plan unlocks more workspace capacity.
More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4What was the nature of the altercation between one of the victims and Carranza's relative nearly a year before the attack?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution - Murder Caution: Joel Emiliano Carranza is wanted for his alleged involvement in the attack of two men. On January 1, 1999, Carranza and three accomplices allegedly jumped out of a van and attacked the two men as they were walking along a street in Campbell, California.
The attack allegedly stemmed from an altercation between one of the men who were walking and one of Carranza's relatives which occurred nearly a year earlier. During the attack, one of the men suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, one of which penetrated his heart and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other victim survived the attack. A local arrest warrant was issued for Carranza on January 6, 1999, by the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara, Juvenile Court, wherein he was charged with murder.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Carranza on April 14, 1999, in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose, California, wherein he was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Remarks: Carranza is thought to be in Mexico, possible in either the Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, or Morelia, Michoacán, areas.
He is thought to be married with at least one child, possibly a daughter. Carranza may be seen with his father, Emiliano Carranza, age 58, whose photograph is featured above to the far right.
Emiliano Carranza is not a fugitive from the law.
Timeline of Events
👤
1999-01-01
Fatal attack in Campbell
Carranza and three accomplices allegedly jumped from a van and attacked two men walking on a street. One victim suffered multiple stab wounds to the chest, including a fatal wound to the heart, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim survived.
🕵️
1999-01-06
Local arrest warrant issued
Superior Court of the State of California, County of Santa Clara, Juvenile Court issued a local arrest warrant for Carranza charging him with murder.
🕵️
1999-04-14
Federal arrest warrant issued
United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose issued a federal arrest warrant for Carranza charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 1999
Last Updated:April 29, 2026
Up to $5,000 Reward
For information leading to the resolution of this case
Leave a comment
Comments
Case Information
Incident:January 1, 1999
Last Updated:April 29, 2026
Up to $5,000 Reward
For information leading to the resolution of this case