Charles Ulery, 61, was killed in northwest Albuquerque on January 3, 2017. Friends called him Chuck; he liked restoring wood and classic Chevrolet engines and lived a largely solitary life devoted to those crafts. He was a Caucasian male.

Ulery was at home with his best friend, Ray Ashely, when a firearm was discharged and a single gunshot struck Ulery, causing a fatal wound. Police say Ashely was still at the residence when officers responded and was identified as the person who fired the weapon. Alcohol is believed to have been a contributing factor.

In the days after the shooting the Albuquerque Police Department charged Ray Ashely in connection with Ulery’s death. Reports described the incident as a catastrophic accident during a social gathering, and investigators worked to reconstruct the sequence of events.