John Serna

John Serna, a 66-year-old man, was shot and killed on September 12, 2021, in the rural community of Mora, New Mexico. His death was the violent culmination of a contentious, decade-long feud with his neighbor. The history between the two men was rooted in disagreements over land and had previously escalated to physical altercations and legal action. Court records showed that in 2016, Serna had been charged with battery for striking his neighbor.

On the morning of the shooting, the neighbor, 70-year-old David Griego, called 911 to report that he had shot Serna. In the recorded call, Griego claimed he acted in self-defense. He told the operator that he was driving his cows when Serna appeared in a backhoe and began following him. Griego stated that he believed Serna was about to attack him, so he pulled out his pistol and fired. After the shooting, Griego remained on the line with the emergency operator and applied pressure to a gunshot wound on Serna's chest until help arrived. Paramedics were unable to save Serna, who died at the scene.

State police officers detained and interviewed Griego following the incident but did not arrest him at that time. In the weeks that followed, Serna's family grew concerned about the pace of the investigation and the lack of charges. They publicly voiced fears that Griego was receiving preferential treatment because he was the uncle of two judges serving in the local judicial district. The family’s attorney wrote to the New Mexico Attorney General's Office, asking it to take over the case due to a loss of confidence in the district attorney.

Four months after the shooting, in January 2022, authorities arrested David Griego and charged him with second-degree murder. He was released on a $50,000 bond to await his trial. The case went before a jury one year later. In January 2023, David Griego was acquitted of the murder charge, bringing the legal proceedings to a close.