Paul Raymond Apodaca

Serial Killer

Paul Raymond Apodaca: Albuquerque Serial Killer

Overview

Paul Raymond Apodaca is an American serial killer and convicted sex offender responsible for the murders of three girls and young women in Albuquerque, New Mexico, between 1988 and 1989. His victims were 21-year-old University of New Mexico student Althea Oakeley, 13-year-old Stella Gonzales, and 18-year-old Kaitlyn Arquette. The three victims had no known relationship with Apodaca or with one another. Their murders remained unsolved for more than three decades before Apodaca unexpectedly confessed in 2021. The killings were committed over approximately thirteen months and involved two different methods. Oakeley was attacked with a knife as she walked home, while Gonzales and Arquette were shot. Investigators ultimately determined that Apodaca knew information about the crimes that supported his confessions, including details that authorities said had not been publicly available. In January 2024, rather than proceeding to separate murder trials, Apodaca pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder and additional charges. He received an effective prison term of 45 years.

Murder of Althea Oakeley

On the evening of June 22, 1988, 21-year-old Althea Oakeley was attending a gathering at a fraternity house near the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque. Oakeley, originally from the Taos area, was a University of New Mexico student. After becoming upset during the gathering, she left on foot and began walking toward the residence she shared with her brother. At the time, Apodaca was associated with the nearby Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, now Central New Mexico Community College, where he participated in a work-study security position. His responsibilities reportedly included watching parking areas and helping ensure that students could safely reach their vehicles. According to the account Apodaca eventually gave investigators, he noticed Oakeley walking alone and followed her. He admitted that he initially intended to sexually assault her. As Oakeley passed him, she reportedly acknowledged him in a friendly manner. Apodaca later told detectives that instead of carrying out his original plan, he attacked her with a knife. The attack occurred near 1320 Buena Vista Drive SE in Albuquerque. Witnesses heard Oakeley screaming and subsequently found her critically wounded. She was able to communicate that she had been stabbed before collapsing. Emergency personnel transported her to the hospital, but her wounds proved fatal. Oakeley died on June 22, 1988. Decades later, detectives examining Apodaca's confession found details that helped corroborate his account. Among those details was his description of a distinctive watch that he said he had lost during the attack. Investigators found that a watch matching that description had indeed been recovered near the crime scene in 1988. Apodaca also provided information concerning his movements and employment that investigators compared with surviving records and witnesses. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Althea Oakley Age: (21), Date of Death: 1988-06-22

Paul Apodaca Charged In Three Cold Case Murders | Crime News