Friends of Kelsey Ladawn Cash remembered her as a good mother with an outgoing, "bubbly and goofy" personality. A 28-year-old White woman, she was described as "the best momma" to her 6-year-old daughter, Kaydence. Her life was cut short in her home in Clovis, New Mexico, in March 2022.
On the night of March 23, 2022, at approximately 9:45 p.m., Clovis police officers were dispatched to 201 N. Main Street after receiving a report of shots fired.
They arrived at an apartment complex located across the street from the old Hotel Clovis, where they found Kelsey inside an apartment. She was deceased, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The 9th Judicial District Major Crimes Unit was activated to handle the homicide investigation. Investigators worked through the night to identify witnesses and any persons involved. They soon identified a suspect as Adrian Ramon Chavez, Kelsey's 26-year-old ex-boyfriend. Sources noted that Chavez had prior arrests for domestic violence. Police located and arrested him just hours after the shooting, at about 3:30 a.m. on March 24.
Chavez was taken to the Curry County Adult Detention Center and charged with an open count of murder in Kelsey's death. Following his arrest, the case proceeded to a jury trial. The trial concluded with a guilty verdict, convicting Adrian Chavez of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to serve 30 years in prison for the crime.
