On January 29, 2012, Michael Evans, a 24-year-old security guard from Artesia, New Mexico, was fatally shot in a tragic incident that unfolded in the early hours of the morning. The events leading to his death were captured in part by surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts.
The suspect in this case is Bobby Smith, also 24 years old and a resident of Artesia. According to the investigation, Smith allegedly approached Evans' vehicle after failing to sneak up on him.
Surveillance footage from the Yates Petroleum Building showed a person, later identified as Smith, wearing blue jeans, a green sweater, and a blue bandanna over his face. This individual walked towards Evans' Dodge pickup truck, pulled out a handgun, and shot Evans in the left side of the head with a revolver armed with a. 410 shotgun shell. The shooter then ran westbound down the alley, out of the camera's view. Evans' truck subsequently crashed into a post, and officers found him with a gunshot wound to the head and his left arm.
The investigation revealed several key pieces of evidence linking Smith to the crime. Neighbors reported hearing a shooting earlier in the evening and described Smith as wearing the same clothing seen in the surveillance footage. Additionally, a witness named Parada saw Smith walking away from his apartment between 9 and 9:36 p.m., wearing a green sweater with a design on the front and a black bandanna on his head, matching the description of the assailant. Another witness, Marcos Herrera, reported that Smith had made a threatening statement earlier in the evening, saying he would shoot someone if they needed to be taken care of.
On January 30, 2012, Smith was arrested on an outstanding warrant, and on January 31, detectives executed a search warrant on his apartment in the 900 block of West Texas Street. During the search, they found clothing that matched the suspect's clothing, as well as a chrome Taurus Judge revolver in the ceiling of the bedroom. This revolver was capable of firing both. 45 Long Colt bullets and. 410 shotgun shells and had been reported stolen on September 19, 2011, from a truck parked in the 700 block of West Quay in Artesia. The serial number of the gun found in Smith's apartment matched the stolen firearm.
Smith was formally arrested on June 15, 2015, on a warrant charging an open count of murder. Prosecutors later filed a criminal information charging him with first-degree murder, shooting at or from a motor vehicle causing death, tampering with evidence, and receiving stolen property. After a series of competency evaluations, Smith was found competent to stand trial on April 3, 2018, and again on November 14, 2018. Ultimately, Smith entered a no-contest plea to second-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and receiving a stolen firearm, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The detailed investigation and evidence collection played a crucial role in identifying and prosecuting Bobby Smith for the murder of Michael Evans, ensuring justice was served in this tragic case.
