New Mexico State Police. Courtesy/NMSP

NMSP News:

On Oct. 2, 2022, New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Crime Scene Team (CST) assisted DeBaca County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation of a double homicide at a residence in Ft. Sumner. The residence was owned by Kelby Randolph. A married couple that resided with Randolph were killed inside this residence with a firearm.

Multiple CST Agents responded to this scene and served a search warrant for items related to the double homicide. They documented the scene with photography and a 3D Laser Scanner. The NMSP CST Agents identified and collected evidence, including bloodstains, firearms, fired and unfired ammunition and clothing. As the investigation developed, evidence pointed to Randolph as the suspect in the double homicide. He was charged with two counts of murder.

Randolph was scheduled for trial on April 1, 2024. Before the trial began, the lead NMSP CST Agent for this case reviewed reports and photographs from the Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI), New Mexico Department of Public Safety (NMDPS) Forensic Laboratory reports, and scene photographs to create a Crime Scene Reconstruction (CSR). This CSR used physical evidence and scientific evidence to illustrate how this double homicide occurred.

This Agent testified regarding this CSR in the trial on April 4, 2024. This CST Agent was recognized as an expert during his testimony. On April 5, 2024, the jury deliberated and returned with a guilty verdict on two counts of Murder in the Second Degree. Randolph has not yet been sentenced.

The NMSP Crime Scene Team regularly assists other agencies, local and federal, with investigations of violent crimes and high-profile cases. They are on call 24 hours per day, seven days per week and usually respond upon request, depending on availability.