On a quiet Sunday evening in Edgewood, New Mexico, the life of Michael Pelkey, a 62-year-old White male, was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence. On February 11, 2018, while working his shift as an attendant at the Smith's Fuel Center, Pelkey became the victim of a robbery that would end in his murder, all for the meager sum of forty-nine dollars.
The events of that night set in motion a multi-agency investigation that would ultimately lead to the identification and arrest of seven individuals connected to the crime.
The robbery was initiated when Daniel Gonzales entered the gas station's kiosk. In the course of the robbery, Daniel Martinez fatally shot Pelkey. The subsequent investigation by the New Mexico State Police painted a picture of a group of individuals who, after the shooting, fled to Albuquerque and hid in area hotels. Their attempts to lay low were ultimately unsuccessful, as tips from the community began to pour in, aiding law enforcement in identifying the suspects.
Within a week of the murder, a series of arrests were made, bringing six of the seven suspects into custody. The individuals apprehended were Daniel Martinez, identified as the shooter; Daniel J. Gonzales; Donald Herbert Gregory, 46, of Edgewood; Veronica M. Martinez, 30; Eileen G. Sandoval, 48; and Misty Roseanne Nevarez, 29. All but Gregory were residents of Albuquerque. The final suspect, Morgan Ramita, 30, also from Albuquerque, managed to evade capture for two years. Ramita, who was charged with first-degree murder, had been released pending trial but absconded in August of 2018 after removing her ankle monitor. Her time as a fugitive came to an end in July 2020 when she was apprehended in Weatherford, Oklahoma.
The wheels of justice turned for the man who pulled the trigger, Daniel Martinez. He pleaded guilty to charges of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and violence, and possession, brandishing, and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. On May 3, 2022, Martinez was sentenced to 26 years in federal prison for his role in the death of Michael Pelkey. While the legal outcome for the primary perpetrator brought a measure of closure, the fates of the other co-conspirators involved in the tragic death of a man described as a friendly and kind member of his community remain less publicly documented. Court records indicated that early in the proceedings, three of the suspects, Misty Nevarez, Donald Gregory, and Veronica Martinez, had been released from jail, while prosecutors had filed motions to keep six of the seven suspects detained without bond.
