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Recent surge of murders tied to Meth use
Source: KRQE News 13

ALBUQUERQUE -- This year is turning out to be a murderous one for the city of Albuquerque. With two months remainng in the year, there have already been more murders than in all of 2004.

Detectives have tied 40 percent of the killings to Methamphetamine use.

In recent years, murder rates have been more frequently tied to gangs, or domestic violence. This year it's drugs, specifically Meth.

In March, a bloody apartment was discovered with signs of violence, but no body. Just days later, a body was found buried in a shallow grave in the West Mesa belonging to 35-year-old Kerry Haley.

Police say Meth was involved in the murder.

Sergeant Carlos Argueta and his team of detectives in the APD Homicide Unit investigated 41 homicide cases last year and 45 to-date this year. Eighteen of them are linked to Meth.

"It's extremely addictive, to where these people will do almost anything to obtain the drug," says Sgt. Argueta.

The recent murder of a contractor and family man in a restaurant parking lot fits the same pattern.

Police say 18-year-old Brian Lawson was a Meth user and may have been carjacking to support this habit when he murdered Reynaldo Padilla outside Milly's restaurant.

"We identified that person was using Meth before, we don't know if he was using it that day," says Sgt. Argueta.

The increase in Meth murders is also straining the homicide unit.

"The man power you have to put to these cases is twice sometimes, three times as much."

The reason? Meth users are transient in nature and hard to track-down, they're known to use fake IDs and they often won't talk to investigators.

"The drug makes you extremely paranoid; they're reluctant to talk to the police."

It’s a new set of challenges for police as they confront the unpredictable and often violent world of Meth users. Still they vow to adapt to the changes to solve the crimes and help bring the suspects to justice.

Police say there is an unwritten code among Meth users not to talk to police. Many of them are so paranoid, they fear other users will kill them if they talk.

Police encourage people to report suspected Meth labs or dealers. Albuquerque has a special hotline at 764-METH.