On January 25, 2014, 31-year-old former police officer Devin Ellis of Grants, New Mexico, was shot and killed during a gathering at a friend’s home after the group returned from the mountains. Ellis arrived later carrying a new Springfield 9 mm semiautomatic handgun; a friend removed the ammunition clip, cleared the chamber and dry-fired the weapon to confirm it was not loaded. The gun and clip were wrapped in a blanket and passed to Alyssa, who later set the blanket on the couch and sat in front of it.

The defendant was arrested and tried on charges that included second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. The jury convicted on the second-degree murder count while remaining deadlocked on the involuntary manslaughter count after additional jury instructions.

Was anyone present that night able to explain why the gun was handled in a way that led to this fatal shot?