In the quiet community of Tijeras, New Mexico, the life of 56-year-old Terry Williams, a Black/African American male, was brought to a tragic and violent end in April of 2017. His disappearance on April 24 of that year would unravel a grim tale of abduction and murder, leaving a community in shock and a family grasping for answers.
The chain of events began to unfold when Williams was reported missing from his Albuquerque home.
The initial scene at his residence was unsettling, with signs of a possible home invasion. The alarm box and the cables to his security camera's DVR had been ripped from the wall, a clear indication that something was amiss. Three days later, on April 28, 2017, the worst fears were realized when his body was discovered in a remote area of Tijeras. The discovery was horrific; Williams' body had been burned, and bullet casings were found scattered nearby.
The investigation into the death of Terry Williams soon pointed to three individuals: Craig Smith, then 55, his girlfriend Evonne Jaramillo, 39, and his son, Brandon Smith. The breakthrough in the case came when Craig Smith, following his arrest, admitted to killing Williams and dumping his body in the East Mountains. He also implicated Jaramillo in the crime.
Surveillance footage from Williams' apartment played a crucial role in the investigation, showing a man and a woman using a key to enter his residence. Williams' girlfriend informed authorities that there were only two keys to the apartment, one of which she possessed. A friend of Williams recalled him being in a heated and threatening phone conversation just days before he went missing, suggesting he was in some form of danger.
The pursuit of the suspects culminated in a tense five-hour standoff at a home in Albuquerque where Brandon Smith was located. He eventually surrendered to law enforcement. All three suspects were subsequently arrested. Craig Smith faced a litany of charges including an open count of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, and burglary. Evonne Jaramillo was charged with unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and tampering with evidence.
In a turn of events, Craig Smith's violent spree was found to extend beyond the murder of Terry Williams. He was also charged with the murder of his 86-year-old aunt, Josephina Ortega, which occurred in the same year. In March 2023, Craig Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Terry Williams and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. This sentence is to be served consecutively with the life-plus-60-year sentence he received for the murder of his aunt.
