On a tragic Easter Sunday in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mindy Stuart, a 30-year-old Caucasian female, lost her life. On April 16, 2017, police were called to a residence on Madeira Drive NE following reports of a shooting. Inside, they discovered Stuart with a single gunshot wound. Also present at the scene was her 32-year-old boyfriend, Scott Wade Bachicha.
Initially, Bachicha told investigators a tale of a home invasion.
He claimed to have been asleep when he was awakened by Stuart's scream and a gunshot. He said he saw a dark figure leaving the home after finding his girlfriend shot. However, this account was quickly contradicted by neighbors who reported hearing the gunshot but did not see anyone other than Bachicha exiting the residence sometime after the shot was fired. Faced with this inconsistency, Bachicha's story changed. He then claimed he had been handling a shotgun when it accidentally discharged, striking Stuart. He admitted to panicking, throwing the weapon onto a nearby roof, and asking a neighbor to call the police.
Based on the conflicting statements and the evidence gathered at the scene, detectives arrested Bachicha. He was initially charged with an open count of murder in connection with Stuart's death. The case has since moved through the legal system with the charges being amended. Initially indicted for first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, the murder charge was later dismissed and re-indicted as involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. There had been previous domestic violence allegations involving the couple.
