Homeless murder trial delayed again

Posted by Colleen Keane | Oct 29, 2015 | News |

ALBUQUERQUE

For the past few months, the start of the jury trial for Alex Rios, the oldest teen indicted in the murders of Allison Gorman and Kee Thompson, has been hard to keep up with because it’s changed so many times.

Gorman and Thompson, members of the Navajo Nation, who were homeless in the city, were bludgeoned to death in July 2014 while they were sleeping in an empty west side lot.

Along with Rios, Gilbert Tafoya and Nathaniel Carrillo were indicted for the murders.

The latest change in Rio’s trial date was made during a motion hearing on Oct. 16, when state prosecutor Vincent A. Martinez beckoned the court to delay the trial because he wants to secure Dr. A. Miller, who he said is a key witness in the case and now lives and works in Canada.

Stepping up to a podium, Martinez explained to 2nd District Court Judge Brianna Zamora that he needed more time getting Miller, the medical investigator who performed one or both of the autopsies on Thompson and Gorman, to the trial since she needs to get approval from the Canadian government. Martinez told Zamora that information garnered from the medical investigation is critical to the prosecution.

Zamora approved his request, so Rio’s jury trial is now set for Dec. 1 at 8:30 a.m.

According to a court spokesperson, the first day of Rio’s trial will be spent selecting jurors. Once the jury is selected, witnesses will be called in.

Rios is the only teen who was over 18 when he was indicted on 27 charges including two counts of willful first-degree murder, several counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence, armed robbery and contributing to the delinquency of minors.