In the quiet neighborhood of Enchanted Hills in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, a violent encounter on a Saturday in February of 2014 cut short the life of 25-year-old Gary Morrin. The young man, a male, was at the home of 66-year-old Donald Alber with his friend, 25-year-old Ashley Garcia. Garcia had reportedly been living with Alber and had returned to the residence to collect her personal items.
What began as a move to retrieve belongings quickly escalated into a deadly confrontation.
An argument erupted, and in the ensuing chaos, Alber produced a firearm. He is said to have first shot Ashley Garcia. As Gary Morrin attempted to flee the chaotic scene, he too was struck by gunfire. The wounds proved to be fatal for Morrin, who was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead on February 15, 2014. Garcia, though also shot, survived the encounter and was listed in stable condition following the incident.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Rio Rancho police arrested Donald Alber. He faced serious charges, including an open count of murder for the death of Gary Morrin, attempted murder for the shooting of Ashley Garcia, and possession of a stolen firearm. Alber maintained that his actions were in self-defense, a claim that was later presented to a grand jury.
Despite his plea of self-defense, the grand jury found sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial, indicting Alber on one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The indictment indicated that the jury did not accept his self-defense narrative, setting the stage for legal proceedings to determine the full story of what transpired inside the home that day and to seek justice for the death of Gary Morrin.
