Jury Hears Testimonies in Albuquerque Triple Murder Trial

By Sarah Harper

Published on March 26, 2009

On Wednesday, an Albuquerque, New Mexico jury heard opening statements in the trial of Brandon Craig, who is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of three high school students in 1999.

The murders occurred on May 29, 1999, allegedly in relation to a drug deal gone wrong between Craig's girlfriend and one of the victims, Kevin Shirley. Prosecutors say that Craig, armed with an assault rifle, fired 24 rounds into a vehicle, killing its occupants: Shirley and two of Shirley's friends, Matthew Hunt and Luis Garcia.

According to CNN reports, opening statements included testimony by Luke Morris, cousin of Craig. Morris claimed he witnessed the shootings but did not report them to authorities because he didn't want to "be the one" to turn in his cousin. Meanwhile, defense attorney Pamela Mackey claimed that the prosecution was charging the wrong person in the case, and that the eyewitnesses were fabricating false stories "in exchange for saving their own hides".

Craig pled not guilty to all charges.

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