On the evening of July 23, 2022, Brendan Thomas Kern, 27, was shot and killed at the Sagebrush Road SE residence of his stepfather, Ezekiel Ricoy, in Deming, New Mexico. Brendan had gone to the house with his girlfriend, their two young sons, and another adult to retrieve an ice chest. After the girlfriend was told to leave the property and returned to the car, Ricoy came out armed with an AR-15 and opened fire on the Chevrolet Equinox while the children were still inside.

Brendan left the vehicle and confronted his stepfather; Ricoy fired multiple rounds, striking Brendan at least three times. Deputies found him in the yard and he was taken to Mimbres Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Ricoy, 57 at the time, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder and several related counts. In March 2024 a jury convicted Ricoy of first-degree murder and other charges, and on May 3, 2024 he received a life sentence plus nine years, with parole eligibility rules stated at sentencing.

Does anyone have additional details about Brendan’s life in Las Cruces or Deming that could help document his story?