In the quiet community of South Valley, New Mexico, a heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on the night of January 19, 2013, forever changing the lives of the Griego family. Two-year-old Angelina Sarah Griego, a little girl whose life had just begun, was violently taken along with her family in an act that shocked the community to its core. The night's horrific events were set in motion by her own brother, 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego.
According to investigators, Nehemiah began his rampage
around midnight. He took a. 22 caliber rifle from his parents' closet and first shot his mother, Sarah Griego, as she slept. When his 9-year-old brother, Zephaniah, awoke from the noise, Nehemiah showed him what he had done before shooting him as well. The cries of his two younger sisters, 5-year-old Jael and Angelina, drew him to their room, where he ended their lives with the same rifle. Autopsy reports would later reveal that Angelina was shot in the back, chest, and forehead.
After killing his mother and three of his siblings, Nehemiah waited for his father, Greg Griego, to return home from his overnight shift at a homeless shelter. When his father arrived around 5 a.m., Nehemiah ambushed him, shooting him multiple times with an AR-15 style rifle. With his entire family deceased, Nehemiah had plans to continue his killing spree. He loaded the family van with weapons and intended to drive to a public place and randomly shoot people.
Instead of carrying out his plan, Nehemiah spent a significant part of the day with his girlfriend. He eventually went to Calvary Church, where his father had once been a pastor, and confessed to a security guard that his family was dead. Initially, he claimed he had discovered their bodies, but he later confessed to the murders. Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the Griego home and discovered the five victims. Nehemiah was taken into custody and charged with five counts of murder and child abuse resulting in death. He told authorities he had been having homicidal thoughts and was angry with his mother. In October 2015, Nehemiah Griego pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death and was ultimately sentenced as an adult to three concurrent life sentences.
