In a tragic turn of events on March 12, 2015, the community of Alamogordo, New Mexico, was shaken by the violent deaths of Phillip "PJ" Banka, a 33-year-old Caucasian male, and his girlfriend, Jessica R. Thompkins, age 30. The pair were found deceased from gunshot wounds inside a home, a devastating outcome of a domestic dispute that had escalated to a deadly confrontation.
The narrative of that fateful evening unfolded as an act of calculated violence. Terrick L.
Thompkins, the ex-husband of Jessica, emerged as the sole suspect. Upset over losing custody of his two children to his ex-wife, Thompkins went to her residence armed and prepared for a confrontation. Evidence presented in court suggested that he fired seven rounds before even entering the house, signaling his violent intent. Once inside, he shot and killed both Banka and Jessica Thompkins. At least 32 shell casings were later recovered from the scene by investigators, a testament to the ferocity of the attack.
A harrowing detail of the incident was the presence of Jessica's 13-year-old son, who was struck by a bullet fragment but managed to survive. The boy's courage in the face of such terror was evident as he escaped through a window and sought help from a neighbor, a crucial act that brought the horrific scene to the attention of law enforcement.
In the aftermath, Terrick L. Thompkins was arrested and stood trial for the murders. In May 2018, a jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, as well as charges of child abuse, aggravated burglary, and shooting at an occupied dwelling. During the trial, his defense attorney argued that Thompkins, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was experiencing an episode on the night of the shootings. Despite this, he was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Thompkins later appealed his conviction, but the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld the ruling in April 2020, ensuring that he would remain incarcerated for his actions.
