John Serna, 66, was shot and killed on September 12, 2021, in the rural community of Mora, New Mexico. The killing came after a decade-long feud with a neighbor over land that had included physical altercations and legal action; court records show Serna was charged with battery in 2016 for striking that neighbor.

On the morning of the shooting, the neighbor, 70-year-old David Griego, called 911 and reported he had shot Serna. Griego said he was driving his cows when Serna appeared in a backhoe and began following him; Griego told the operator he believed Serna was about to attack, so he pulled out a pistol and fired. Griego stayed on the line and applied pressure to a gunshot wound on Serna’s chest until paramedics arrived; Serna was pronounced dead at the scene. State police detained and interviewed Griego after the shooting but did not arrest him immediately.

Serna’s family publicly expressed concern about the investigation’s pace and whether Griego received preferential treatment because he was the uncle of two local judges, and their attorney asked the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office to take over the case. If anyone knew John Serna or witnessed events around Mora on September 12, 2021, please share what was seen or heard.