SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It is with tremendous sadness that ABC4 announces the death of our senior crime and justice reporter Antonio Marcos Ortiz, 68, at his home Saturday morning, Nov 5.
Marcos is survived by his wife of 34 years, Sandy, and his daughter Olivia. The cause of his death was determined to be a sudden heart attack.
An Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, Marcos will be best known for his extensive work in shining a light on unsolved crimes across Utah with his Justice Files series and for helping bring awareness to missing persons with Missing in Utah.
A Lovell, Wy., native, he was the youngest of 11 children and the son of immigrant parents. His career spanned radio, newspaper, and television. He began his time with ABC4 in 2004, but his work in journalism spanned over 30 years. He’s been a fixture in Salt Lake City television since 1992.
He started work as a teenager in Blythe, Calif., in the 1980s in radio before returning to Green River, Wy., to work in print journalism. After several years, he finally made it to television in Cheyenne. There, he met his future wife, Sandy Olney. The two moved to Albequerque and later to Santa Fe, N.M., where they married in 1988. The couple welcomed Olivia in 1995. She is currently living in Chicago after graduating from the University of Utah’s law school in 2021 — a point her father was particularly proud of.
A devout Catholic, Marcos leaned on his faith to guide him through some of the most difficult crime stories he had to cover throughout his career.
“I am a really firm believer in my savior Lord Jesus Christ, that can carry me through those time frames that appear to be rough for anyone else,” Marcos once said.
“Words are difficult to find as we learned of the loss of our colleague and friend, Marcos Ortiz,” said ABC4 General Manager and VP Mark Danielson. “He was an icon in Utah: a journalist, a mentor, a coach, and a friend. He reminded us how to be curious while leading by example. He will be missed by all and remembered always.”
