Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran Murders Toddler
Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran was sentenced to death in North Carolina for the murder of a twenty two month old boy
According to court documents the twenty two month old boy was admitted to hospital with severe injuries. The doctors would notify police regarding their suspicion of abuse. Police would learn that Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran was taking care of the child the night before. The toddler would die from his injuries
After an investigation police would discover a cellphone video of Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran abusing the young child
Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran Case
A Randolph County man has been sentenced to death after a jury unanimously convicted him of first-degree murder in the 2022 killing of 14-month-old Junior Jose “JJ” Ortiz Rodriguez, according to court documents.
On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge formally imposed the death penalty on Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran following the jury’s unanimous recommendation. The jury had found Beltran guilty of murder in the first degree, court documents show.
The sentence means Beltran will be transferred from the Randolph County Jail to Central Prison in Raleigh, where North Carolina’s death row is housed.
“This Court hereby sentences the defendant, Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran, to death,” the order read, ending with the traditional line, “May God have mercy on his soul.”
Valdez-Beltran is the first person sentenced to death in Randolph County since George Thomas Wilkerson was given the death penalty on Dec. 20, 2006. There have been no executions carried out in North Carolina since 2006.
Case Background
The case began on Aug. 31, 2022, when Ramseur police received a call from Randolph Health about a toddler admitted with severe injuries suspected to be from child abuse. The boy, JJ Ortiz, was transferred to Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem, where he died on Sept. 5, 2022.
Police quickly identified Beltran, who had an “amorous” relationship with the child’s mother and had been caring for JJ the night before, as a suspect., court records show.
He was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Investigators from multiple agencies worked on the case, ultimately uncovering critical digital evidence, including a video recovered from Beltran’s iCloud account that showed him beating and suffocating the child.
Joel Vilchis Valdez-Beltran Now
| Offender Number: | 1267627 |
| Inmate Status: | ACTIVE |
| Probation/Parole/Post Release Status: | INACTIVE |
| Gender: | MALE |
| Race: | OTHER |
| Ethnic Group: | HISPANIC/LATINO |
| Birth Date: | 01/04/1991 |
| Age: | 34 |
| Current Location: | CENTRAL PRISON |
| Incarceration Status: | ACTIVE | Total Incarceration Term: | DEATH |
| Conviction Date: | 08/20/2025 | Projected Release Date: | DEATH |
| Primary Crime: | MURDER FIRST DEGREE (PRINCIPAL) | Primary Crime Type: | FELON |
| Special Characteristics: | DEATH ROW | Current Status: | FELON |
| Admission Date: | 08/20/2025 | Admitting Location: | CENTRAL PRISON |
| Control Status: | REGULAR POPULATION | Next Control Review: | UNKNOWN |
| Custody Classification: | CLOSE | Next Custody Review: | UNKNOWN |
| Number Of Infractions: | 0 | Last Infraction Date: | N/A |
| Current Location: | CENTRAL PRISON | Previous Location: | RANDOLPH COUNTY |
| Last Movement : | NEW ADMISSION | Last Movement Date: | 08/20/2025 |
