New Mexico Man Kills His Wife, Her Pets In Murder-Suicide

Dorian Geiger
·2 min read

A 65-year-old elected municipal court judge in New Mexico was allegedly gunned down with her pets by her husband on Friday, who later shot and killed himself.

Investigators suspect Eric Pinkerton, 63, shot and killed his wife, Judge Diane Albert, 65, and numerous family pets at the couple’s Bernalillo County home before killing himself on Friday.

Authorities were dispatched to the couple’s residence in the 800 block of Ranchitos Road on Friday afternoon for a welfare check requested by a family friend. Upon arrival, law enforcement located the bodies of Albert and Pinkerton.

"This is believed to be a murder-suicide," the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media statement on Saturday. "A friend of the decedents contacted deputies after receiving a troubling message from Eric Pinkerton."

According to investigators, responding deputies also located “several dead animals” strewn about the home.

"Eric Pinkerton is believed to have shot his wife and several animals in the house before shooting himself," county officials’ statement added.

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A specific motive hasn’t been released in the suspected murder-suicide. According to the Albuquerque Journal, authorities hadn’t previously responded to any domestic violence calls at the couple’s home since at least 2019.

According to emergency dispatcher recordings of the incident, Pinkerton allegedly left a voicemail for the friend who called police “stating that he murdered his wife and his dogs and his cat” and that he planned to kill himself, per ABC affiliate KOAT. He was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“We are heartsick hearing of the untimely death of Diane Albert, our elected municipal judge,” Mayor Donald T. Lopez said in a statement. “She was a longtime Los Ranchos resident, a brilliant mind, and a friend. We can’t ignore that this happened on the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women. Our thoughts go out to her family and all those affected.”

Authorities haven’t released additional information pertaining to the murder-suicide. Oxygen.com has reached out to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office for more information.