In the summer of 2017, the life of 19-year-old Hispanic female Consuela T. Rios was tragically cut short. On July 5, 2017, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Rios and a friend, 19-year-old Daniel Miramontes, were fatally shot. When police officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, they discovered Rios deceased inside the residence. Miramontes was found with serious injuries and was transported to the University of New Mexico hospital, where he later died.
At the time, the motive for the killings and the identity of the person responsible were not immediately clear.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrest of Brandon Vigil, who was also 19 years old at the time of the incident and was a friend to both victims. Vigil was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Rios and Miramontes. In a turn of events, what was initially a guilty plea was later changed to no contest by Vigil during his sentencing.
As part of a plea agreement, the prosecution agreed not to pursue a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Instead, Vigil was sentenced to a life term for each of the two murders. The judge ultimately ruled that these sentences would be served consecutively, meaning Vigil must serve a minimum of 60 years in prison before he is eligible for parole. An appeal made by Vigil regarding his consecutive sentences was later dismissed by the state Supreme Court, which upheld the original sentence.
