On October 11, 2023, 34-year-old Laura McCormick was fatally shot while working at the Weed Store, a convenience store and gas station on Agua Chiquita Road in western Otero County. Surveillance footage and police records show a 52-year-old man, identified as Joseph Sanders of Bent, New Mexico, entered the store, spoke with McCormick and another customer, left and returned several times, then pulled out a gun. A scuffle occurred and McCormick was shot twice before the suspect fled.

Authorities say Sanders attempted to hide his vehicle in nearby woods and was arrested later that day about five miles from the store driving a stolen UTV. The Otero County Sheriff’s Office booked him on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, attempted armed robbery, evidence tampering, unlawful possession of a motor vehicle, illegal carrying of a firearm, and possession of drug paraphernalia. McCormick, born February 21, 1989, in Greeley, Colorado, left behind her husband Carl McCormick and several children; she had worked as a CNA and was primarily focused on raising her family.

Does anyone in the area have information about McCormick’s final shift or the movements around the Weed Store that morning?