Roswell, NM – Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that the New Mexico Supreme Court agreed with the Office of the Attorney General Criminal Appeals Division and affirmed the convictions of Steven Lee Lucero for the 2014 brutal murder of Isaiah Sanchez in Roswell. The defendant set into motion a methodical plan to rob the defendant that ended in the cold-blooded murder of the victim and the ultimate theft of a mere $15 from the victim's wallet.

Attorney General Balderas released the following statement:

"Keeping the most violent, dangerous offenders behind bars in New Mexico is our priority. I am thankful to the Fifth Judicial District Attorney's Office and the Roswell Police Department for the successful prosecution of this case, and I'm pleased that the Office of the Attorney General's Criminal Appeals Division was able ensure this hard fought conviction was upheld. The defendant's methodical actions to lure the victim to a house party, brutally beat and stab him, and then return to the body to deliver the fatal stab wound demonstrates the extreme danger Lucero posed to the Roswell community."

Assistant Attorney General Elizabeth Ann Ashton handled the appeal for the Office of the Attorney General.

Please see below for a copy of the opinion and a photo of Lucero.

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