Zachary Gutierrez, 20, breaks down in tears Friday in Judge T. Glen Ellington’s courtroom after he was found not guilty in the 2018 shooting death of Richard Milan. Gutierrez was charged with second-degree murder after his companions that night made statements to police implicating him in Milan’s death. But two of the three girls in…
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 2nd Judicial District Court judge denied a motion to put a man tied to a grisly child killing back in jail. Instead, Judge Charles Brown eased pretrial release conditions on Fabian Gonzales to allow him to work outside Bernalillo County and to be unsupervised around children. Gonzales will now be allowed…
Court of Appeals unanimous decision
Juvenile defendant released pending trial in Santa Fe murder case
NM Supreme Court abolishes spousal privilege
The jury acquitted Rachel Smith in the death of an infant she was babysitting.
SANTA FE — A woman who was acquitted of killing an infant at a Santa Fe motel in March 2017 got credit for time served while awaiting trial for convictions on lesser charges and will no longer be incarcerated. In a trial that began in June, Rachel Smith, 27, was found not guilty of child…
Rachel Smith walks out of court after being acquitted of child abuse resulting in death in District Court on Wednesday, July 3, 2019. Luis Sánchez Saturno/The New Mexican Angel Arellano, mother of Jonathan Valenzuela, cries in district court on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, as the jury read a not guilty verdict for Rachel Smith for…
“It would be extremely difficult, if not unethical, for the state to go forward with the trial at this point without setting our minds at ease that we do indeed have the right person in the courtroom”
By Ari Burack | aburack@sfnewmexican.com A 17-year-old Santa Fe boy who prosecutors maintain was involved in the slaying of a Michigan man in September, despite dropping a murder charge against him, has been arrested in a new shooting case, authorities say. Zachary Gutierrez was arrested by Santa Fe police Feb. 12, following a…
