In the quiet community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, the life of a 26-year-old Hispanic man, Adan Ponce Galdeano, was cut short in a tragic series of events that began to unfold around Thanksgiving of 2022. His disappearance would ultimately lead to the discovery of his murder, a crime rooted in a dispute over drugs and money. Galdeano was reported missing, and on December 6, 2022, his body was found, marking a grim end to the search.
An investigation revealed he had been fatally shot multiple times.
The case that followed implicated five individuals in connection with Galdeano's death. Among them was Manuel "Manny" Rios-Alderete, who would later be identified as the primary suspect in the shooting. The investigation pointed to a narcotics-related debt and a feud between Rios-Alderete, his associate Michael Sweeney, and Galdeano. It was determined that on Thanksgiving Day, Galdeano was ambushed and shot twice in the chest and once in the head. His body was later discovered in the garage of a residence in the Lone Butte area.
As the legal process began, four of the five defendants accepted plea deals in exchange for their cooperation. The only one to proceed to trial was Manuel Rios-Alderete. During his seven-day trial, three of his co-defendants, having already been convicted, testified against him. Their testimonies, coupled with the evidence presented by the prosecution, led to a guilty verdict. Rios-Alderete was convicted of Willful and Deliberate Murder, Tampering with Evidence, Conspiracy to Tamper, and Receiving Stolen Property. He is now facing a sentence of up to life in prison, plus an additional five years for the other charges. Another man, Angelo Martinez, was also identified as a person of interest and subsequently arrested in connection with the case, while Michael Sweeney was also implicated in the feud leading up to the murder.
