Albuquerque man sentenced to 29 years in prison for 2 murders and a kidnapping
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Albuquerque murder suspect who was released from custody before the state Supreme Court intervened has taken a plea deal in two separate cases. Adrian Avila pled guilty on Tuesday to first-degree murder and kidnapping for shooting and killing Donnie Brandon in 2020 and fatally shooting Elias Otero in 2021.
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The state sought pretrial detention in the Otero case but Judge Stan Whitaker released him on a GPS monitor. Prosecutors appealed the decision and the state Supreme Court reversed it.
In court, prosecutors say accomplices in both shootings were ready to testify against Avila including Anna Bella Dukes who authorities say set up the 2021 robbery. Avila did apologize to the victim’s families but Judge David Murphy sentenced him to 29 years in prison.
