Evyn Scott

Evyn Scott, a 15-year-old White male, was killed in what his family described as a devastating betrayal by people he considered his friends. The Albuquerque, New Mexico, teen was known to trust his friends, even listing some of his alleged attackers as people he could turn to if he was distressed. His family’s grief was compounded by the knowledge that he was lured to his death by those he thought were supportive.

On the night of March 14, 2019, Evyn’s mother, Cassandra Scott, had a powerful sense of foreboding as her son left to meet up with his friends. She warned him not to go and asked her own mother to write down the license plate number of the car he got into. Inside the vehicle were Madison Porch, who was driving, along with Scott Spencer and Alex Wilson. Evyn did not know that Russell Spencer, a teen with whom he had recently had a significant falling out, was hidden in the trunk.

Once Evyn was in the car, the group began to beat and choke him as they drove toward the East Mountains. A judge would later remark that it sounded as if Evyn was nearly deceased before he was even pulled from the vehicle. The brutal assault ended when they threw him onto the shoulder of New Mexico Highway 14 near Paa-Ko Golf Drive. There, Russell Spencer shot him four times at close range, with three shots to the head and one to the neck. Evyn’s body was found on the side of the road days later.

The license plate number his mother had noted proved to be the key for investigators. It led Bernalillo County Sheriff's deputies to the car and ultimately to the suspects. Deputies arrested brothers Scott Spencer, 19, and Russell Spencer, 17, as well as 17-year-old Alex Wilson. All three were charged with kidnapping and murder. While no official motive was released, Evyn’s grandmother suggested it may have stemmed from threats Evyn had made against Russell.

The case proceeded through the courts over the next several years, resulting in convictions for two of the young men involved. In 2020, Russell Spencer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. In July 2022, a judge sentenced him to 12 years in prison. His older brother, Scott Spencer, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April 2023. At his sentencing in July 2023, a judge gave him 11 years in prison, noting his responsibility for allowing Evyn into the car and failing to report the murder.