Local & Community
La Quinta Cold Case Murder Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in 2004 Killing of Teen
A man accused in a decades-old La Quinta homicide has pleaded not guilty to murder charges stemming from the 2004 death of a 17-year-old victim.
Forty-year-old Eddie Zezueta entered his plea Tuesday in an Indio courtroom. He is charged in connection with the killing of Daniel Medina, who was fatally shot in the La Quinta Cove neighborhood more than two decades ago.
According to investigators, Medina was shot multiple times at a home in La Quinta Cove in 2004. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The homicide remained unsolved for years before detectives with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department reopened the investigation as part of a broader review of cold case homicides. Authorities have not released additional details about what led investigators to identify Zezueta as a suspect.
In addition to a murder charge, prosecutors have filed sentencing enhancements alleging the personal use of a firearm and the infliction of great bodily injury.
Court records show a felony settlement conference is scheduled for Aug. 6 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio. A preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for October.
Because the case remains active, no additional information about the prosecution's evidence has been released. As with all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
NBC Palm Springs will continue to follow developments in the case and provide updates as they become available.
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: NBC Palm Springs
July 28, 2026
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