In the pre-dawn hours of June 28, 2008, a tragic case of mistaken identity led to the death of Scott Pierce, a 41-year-old White male, in his Albuquerque, New Mexico home. Pierce, a nurse known for his kindness, and his wife Katherine had been married for only six days and had recently moved into their new house. The couple was asleep when Katherine was awakened by their dogs barking.
Upon investigating, she was confronted by an intruder armed with a sawed-off shotgun.
The armed man, Clifton Bloomfield, demanded to know the whereabouts of "Manny," the home's previous tenant. Hearing his wife’s distress, Scott Pierce rushed to her aid and charged at the intruder. In the ensuing struggle, Bloomfield fired a single shot, striking Pierce in the neck. The intruder then fled the scene. Katherine called 911 and tried to comfort her husband, but he succumbed to his injuries before paramedics could arrive.
The investigation into Scott Pierce’s murder quickly revealed that it was a murder-for-hire plot gone wrong. Jason Skaggs, a co-worker of the intended target, Manny, had hired Bloomfield to harm him over a personal grudge. Skaggs suspected Manny of having an affair with his wife. However, Bloomfield broke into the wrong house, tragically ending the life of an innocent man.
Both Clifton Bloomfield and Jason Skaggs were arrested on July 1, 2008. Bloomfield, who had a prior criminal record, confessed to the murder of Scott Pierce. Further investigation linked his DNA to several other unsolved murders in the Albuquerque area. To avoid the death penalty, Bloomfield pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree murder and received a sentence of 195 years in prison. Jason Skaggs pleaded guilty to charges including second-degree murder and aggravated burglary and was sentenced to 30 and a half years in prison.
