Aaron Murphy was 21 when he was shot and killed in Albuquerque on the night of April 28, 2019. He was at 5716 Kathryn Ave. S.E. with another person when a vehicle driven by Octavio Saenz arrived so Saenz could sell and smoke marijuana with Murphy’s companion. A witness said Saenz recognized Murphy from an earlier alleged robbery and produced a firearm, then began shooting as Murphy and the witness tried to flee. Murphy was struck and later died of his wound.

The case remained under investigation for years. Detectives later developed new leads, including social media evidence, obtained a DNA search warrant, and interviewed Saenz; he at first denied involvement and later said a masked person had shot at him and he returned fire. An arrest warrant charging Octavio Saenz with open-count murder was obtained and he was booked into the Metro Detention Center in connection with Murphy’s death.

Anyone with information about the night of April 28, 2019, or who knew Aaron Murphy is asked to come forward.