James Dukette

James Dukette, a 54-year-old White man from Santa Fe, New Mexico, had long feared his adult son. On the afternoon of May 25, 2024, that fear was realized on a family property on the city's southwestern side. Police were called to the 900 block of Morning Drive shortly before 3 p.m. for a report of gunshots. An officer arrived to find James Dukette face down on the ground and unresponsive, with two gunshot wounds to his torso. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. His death marked the first homicide in Santa Fe of 2024.

The victim's son, 34-year-old Zachary Dukette, was at the scene when police arrived and was arrested after reportedly telling an officer twice, "I shot." Investigators found three bullet casings near James Dukette’s body and a handgun in his son's car. Zachary was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. He later told police he had acted in self-defense, claiming his father had tried to strangle him before he fired the gun, but witnesses told investigators they saw no signs of such a struggle.

Court records and witness statements revealed a troubled and "rocky" relationship between father and son. James Dukette believed his son suffered from an untreated mental illness and had expressed fears that Zachary would try to kill him. Months before the fatal shooting, James had taken all of his son's firearms, paid him for them, and hidden them out of concern for his own safety. In September 2023, Zachary had been charged with assault against a household member following an altercation with his father, though the charge was later dismissed. At that same time, James had filed a petition for an order of protection from domestic abuse.

During his arraignment on May 29, 2024, Zachary Dukette appeared via video from jail and told the judge, "I am absolutely innocent." Prosecutors filed a motion to hold him in jail until his trial. In December 2025, Zachary, then 35, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a firearm enhancement, tampering with evidence, and aggravated battery in his father's death. A judge sentenced him to a total of 29 years, suspending 12.5 years of the term. He was ordered to serve 16.5 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised probation.