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Thirty miles south of Santa Fe, secluded in the New Mexico desert, sits Zorro Ranch, where disgraced financier and convicted sex felon Jeffrey Epstein is alleged to have abused girls and women.
Mr. Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James in the Caribbean, and his seven-story New York City mansion have commanded the most attention related to his crimes. But now, focus has shifted to this lesser-known, 10,000-acre property in New Mexico.
Recently released files from the U.S. Justice Department have led the state of New Mexico to restart an investigation, and to the legislature’s creation of a truth commission that will conduct a separate inquiry.
Two new efforts are underway to examine Jeffrey Epstein's past: One is looking into whether crimes occurred at Zorro Ranch. Another is a bipartisan Truth Commission, formed by the New Mexico state legislature, that seeks to tell the story of what exactly happened there.
Mr. Epstein purchased the ranch in 1993 from three-time former New Mexico Gov. Bruce King. Mr. Epstein owned it for 26 years, and allegations that he harmed minors there date to 1996.
After Mr. Epstein’s death in 2019, the ranch was put up for sale, with proceeds to be directed toward Mr. Epstein’s victims. Don Huffines, a former state senator in Texas and current Republican nominee for comptroller there, bought the ranch. He renamed it Rancho de San Rafael and turned it into a Christian retreat.
Mr. Huffines has cooperated with the New Mexico Justice Department’s investigation.
The truth commission is a bipartisan committee of the state’s legislature, established to investigate alleged criminal activity and public corruption related to Mr. Epstein in New Mexico – focused mainly on Zorro Ranch. A resolution to form the committee passed unanimously on Feb. 16.
