On a summer evening in Deming, New Mexico, a trip to retrieve an ice chest turned into a fatal encounter for Brendan Thomas Kern, a 27-year-old White/Caucasian male. The events of July 23, 2022, unfolded at the residence of his stepfather, Ezekiel Ricoy, leaving a family shattered by violence.
Brendan, a resident of Las Cruces and a former Deming local, had traveled to his stepfather's home on Sagebrush Road SE accompanied by his girlfriend, their two young sons, and another adult male.
The purpose of their visit was simple: to pick up an ice chest from his mother. However, the situation escalated rapidly when his girlfriend approached the back door of the house. She was met with hostility from Ricoy, who ordered her off the property. Shortly after she returned to their vehicle, a Chevrolet Equinox, Ricoy emerged from the house armed with an AR-15 rifle and began firing at the car, which still had the two children inside.
In a selfless act to protect his family, Brendan exited the vehicle and approached his stepfather. It was then that Ricoy fired multiple rounds, striking Brendan at least three times. While his girlfriend rushed to his side, the other man in the vehicle drove the children to safety. Law enforcement and medical assistance were summoned, and deputies who arrived on the scene found Brendan in the yard with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite their efforts to render aid, he was transported to Mimbres Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ezekiel Ricoy, who was 57 at the time, was arrested at the scene without incident. He was subsequently charged with an open count of murder, two counts of child abuse, one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle. In March 2024, a Luna County jury convicted Ricoy of first-degree murder and other related charges. On May 3, 2024, he was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional nine years. According to the sentencing, he must serve 85% of the nine-year sentence before beginning the life sentence, for which he will be eligible for parole after 30 years. The court heard emotional statements from Brendan's family, including his nine-year-old stepson, before the maximum sentence was imposed.
