The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld John Powell’s murder convictions in the 2018 shooting deaths of three people near Dixon. Powell was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated burglary in 2020. The bodies of April Browne, Abraham Martinez, and Kierin Guillemin were found in a Rio Arriba County home not far from Dixon. The surveillance camera recorded the killings and theft of a safe and other items by Powell and his brother, Roger Gage. Powell’s brother was separately convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Last year, the state Supreme Court affirmed Gage’s convictions of three counts of first-degree willful and deliberate murder.
Authorities stated that Powell and his brother drove over an hour to Browne’s house reportedly to get tools and buy drugs. Chief Justice David K. Thomson wrote in the high court’s decision that the entire assault, including removing the safe and laptops, only lasted 52 seconds. Thomson explained that a juror could reasonably determine that the actions in the video demonstrate careful thought sufficient for deliberation. This detailed choreography of actions led to the conclusion that the murders were premeditated. The state’s high court concluded that there was enough evidence to support Powell’s convictions, affirming his guilt for the murders and burglary.
The case surrounding the murder convictions of John Powell and his brother, Roger Gage, has been ongoing since the 2018 shooting deaths in Dixon. The bodies of three individuals were found in a home in Rio Arriba County, leading to the arrests of Powell and Gage. The surveillance footage captured the killings and theft of items from Browne’s home. Powell and Gage were seen removing a safe and laptops in a carefully executed plan that lasted a mere 52 seconds. This evidence played a significant role in their convictions and the subsequent affirmation of those convictions by the state Supreme Court.
Powell’s conviction of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated burglary was upheld by the New Mexico Supreme Court in a unanimous decision. The court found that there was sufficient evidence to support Powell’s guilt in the 2018 shooting deaths near Dixon. The high court’s decision affirmed that the murders were premeditated based on the surveillance footage of the carefully orchestrated actions taken by Powell and his brother. The conclusion of the court was that the evidence presented in the case supported Powell’s convictions, solidifying his guilt in the murders and burglary.
The case surrounding the murder convictions of John Powell and Roger Gage highlighted the meticulous planning that went into the killings of three individuals near Dixon in 2018. The surveillance footage captured the swift and calculated actions of Powell and Gage as they carried out the murders and theft from Browne’s home in Rio Arriba County. The short duration of the assault, lasting only 52 seconds, was a key piece of evidence presented in the case. Chief Justice David K. Thomson emphasized the careful thought and deliberation evident in the video, leading to the conclusion that the murders were premeditated.
Overall, the New Mexico Supreme Court’s decision to uphold John Powell’s murder convictions in the 2018 shooting deaths near Dixon was based on the sufficient evidence presented in the case. The surveillance footage of the killings and theft played a crucial role in the court’s affirmation of Powell’s guilt. The deliberate and precisely choreographed actions captured in the video demonstrated to the court that the murders were premeditated. Powell’s conviction of three counts of first-degree murder and one count of aggravated burglary was upheld, solidifying his role in the deaths of April Browne, Abraham Martinez, and Kierin Guillemin. The decision of the state’s highest court brings a resolution to this tragic case that has been ongoing since the 2018 murders in Rio Arriba County.