N.M. man pleads guilty to kidnapping and killing his Army vet girlfriend who bled to death in truck
09/09/2022 1:32 pm PDT
FARMINGTON, N.M. (TCD) -- A man recently pleaded guilty to kidnapping and killing a 59-year-old Army veteran of Navajo decent in 2019.
According to a news release from the New Mexico Attorney General's Office, on May 31, 2019, after an argument, Jerry Jay allegedly struck Cecelia Fiona in the head with a blunt object and put her in the back seat of her truck. Fiona bled to death in the car as Jay reportedly drove it through New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California.
Jay drove to a remote area outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, to dispose of Fiona's body, the Attorney General's Office said. Fiona's body was reportedly found on Feb. 23, 2021, nearly two years after the alleged kidnapping and killing.
According to the Attorney General's Office, Jay used Fiona's credit cards and stole money from her account as he flew back to New Mexico.
On Sept. 8, the Attorney General's Office announced that Jay pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder of Fiona and faces up to 33 years in prison.
In a statement, Attorney General Balderas said, "As we continue to fight for justice and help bring closure to Cecelia’s family, New Mexico still has a long way to go in helping Indigenous families impacted by violent crime."
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