On the evening of April 20, 2019, a house party in a community near Los Lunas, New Mexico, turned into a scene of tragedy. Among the lives lost was that of Nathan Morrison, a 28-year-old male from Belen, New Mexico. The gathering was shattered by the sound of gunfire, leaving three men dead. The other victims were identified as 40-year-old Darren Bernal and 29-year-old Joseph Santiago.
Investigators from the Valencia County Sheriff's Office quickly responded to the chaotic scene.
Witnesses reported seeing a SUV fleeing the area shortly after the shots were fired. This crucial piece of information led law enforcement to a nearby vehicle, where they apprehended three suspects. The individuals taken into custody were 18-year-old Brandon Dowdy, 19-year-old Robert Wilson, and a 17-year-old male who was later identified as Anthony Williams. The three were subsequently charged with three counts of murder in connection with the fatal shootings.
The legal proceedings that followed took a significant turn in December 2021. A Valencia County judge approved plea deals for the three individuals convicted in the triple homicide. These agreements resulted in sentences that were considerably less severe than the initial charges might have suggested. Brandon Dowdy received four years of probation, while Robert Wilson was sentenced to six months of probation. Anthony Williams, who was a minor at the time of the incident and admitted to being the shooter, was sentenced to one year in the custody of the Children, Youth and Families Department.
