A man in New Mexico, Adlai Mestre, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and animal cruelty for the brutal killings of his parents, teen sister, and family dog. The gruesome incident took place in his Tijeras home on October 13, 2024.
According to prosecutors, Mestre shot his family members and the dog before dragging their bodies to a ravine near his house with the intention of burying them. When police arrived at the scene, they found Mestre holding a gun and a loaded magazine outside his home.
Mestre confessed to the killings and was reportedly trying to clean up the crime scene when law enforcement arrived. The bodies of his parents, Bertha Huerta Conde and Raymundo Mestre, as well as his 17-year-old sister, Brielle Mestre, were discovered in a nearby gorge.
During questioning, Mestre admitted to killing his father in the living room and his mother as she walked down the stairs. He also mentioned not knowing what happened to his younger sister. The suspect later attempted to escape from custody but was recaptured shortly after.
A judge initially deemed Mestre incompetent to stand trial due to his history of mental illness, but this decision was reversed later on. In addition to the murder charges, Mestre also faces counts of tampering with evidence related to the triple homicide.
