Zachary Schaefer was a 27-year-old White man described by those who knew him as easy-going, a lover of animals and music who played the guitar. His family, including his mother Lisa, remembered him fondly after his life was violently taken. In the aftermath, his family described the life-altering and tragic impact of his death, and his mother voiced her frustration with the slow pace of justice and the emotional toll of the legal proceedings.
On the night of April 1, 2020, Zachary drove
to a university-area neighborhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for what he told his girlfriend and a friend was a drug deal. He texted his girlfriend "wish me luck," telling her he was meeting a "little gangster." He also told a friend he was bringing a firearm for protection. Around 11:30 p.m., police responded to reports of an argument and gunfire near Gold Avenue and Maple Street NE. They found Zachary lying dead in the street. He had been shot several times and was wearing body armor.
The investigation began with a key clue from Zachary’s girlfriend: if anything happened to him, the man responsible went by the name "Blue." At the scene, investigators found pieces of a black car that had crashed into a wall while fleeing. They traced the vehicle parts to relatives of a man named Shaquan Ketcham, who they learned used the nickname "Blue." Inside the damaged car, they found receipts bearing Ketcham’s name. His relatives confirmed he had the car on the night of the shooting and had told them he’d been in a "shootout."
In March 2021, nearly a year after the homicide, police arrested 20-year-old Shaquan Ketcham and charged him with an open count of murder. He was initially placed on house arrest. The case progressed, and Ketcham eventually accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty and, in exchange for a lesser sentence, agreed to tell investigators what happened the night Zachary was killed.
Ketcham revealed that he and two brothers, Jeremiah and Jeffrey Denton, had arranged to buy drugs from Zachary with the intention of robbing him. According to Ketcham, an argument over money broke out inside their car. Jeremiah Denton then demanded all of Zachary’s drugs. A struggle ensued, and Zachary reportedly fired a shot into the car floor. Jeremiah Denton ran around the vehicle and fired his handgun at Zachary several times. As Jeffrey Denton began punching Zachary, he tried to drive away but crashed into a wall. Zachary jumped out and ran, but Jeremiah caught up to him. Jeffrey then took his brother's handgun and fired one more shot at Zachary. DNA found under Zachary's fingernails was later matched to Jeremiah Denton.
As a result of his guilty plea and cooperation, Shaquan Ketcham was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Based on his testimony and the DNA evidence, authorities also charged Jeremiah Denton with murder. As of March 2024, the case against Denton was moving forward through the court system.
