Noel Johnson, 21, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was murdered on January 28, 1980. His death was part of a series of violent crimes that targeted multiple victims, including his brother Kenn Johnson, 26.

Police arrested William Wayne Gilbert on January 19, 1980, after an incident involving gunfire at a local Albuquerque establishment. Gilbert later confessed during interrogations to six murders, among them the killings of Kenn and Noel Johnson, and was convicted of the murders plus kidnapping and sexual assault. The convictions cited aggravating circumstances; Gilbert was originally sentenced to death.

In 1986 Governor Toney Anaya commuted all death sentences in New Mexico, converting Gilbert’s death sentence to life imprisonment. Noel Johnson’s killing remains part of that larger, high-profile case. Does anyone have information about Noel’s life in Albuquerque or memories that could shed light on his last days?