LAS CRUCES, NM - Doña Ana County District Attorney Fernando R. Macias announces that Isaiah Joseph Rea has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Steven Sanchez. The sentence was handed down yesterday by District Court Judge Douglas R. Driggers, who also presided over the trial.
Rea was convicted on May 21, 2025, for the April 29, 2024, shooting that claimed the life of Sanchez. In addition to the murder conviction, the jury found Rea guilty of a firearm enhancement, which led to the total sentence to 20 years — the maximum allowed under New Mexico law for the charges.
Sanchez's body was discovered with a gunshot wound to the head inside a shed behind a residence on Princess Jeanne Drive. Witnesses told investigators that Rea was at the residence with Sanchez and an unidentified man. Sanchez reportedly stepped outside with the two men before a gunshot was heard. According to court documents, Rea later told others he believed the unidentified man wanted him to kill Sanchez, saying something to the effect of, "I thought he wanted me to do it." He was pronounced dead at the scene by Las Cruces Police Department officers.
District Attorney Macias commended the efforts of law enforcement and acknowledged the strength and perseverance of the victim's family, and the strong effort of prosecutors.
"Our investigators did great work in securing witnesses," Macias said. "The family of the victim has finally been given the justice they deserved for their loved one and for our community."
Deputy District Attorney Tomas Medina, who prosecuted the case, added "We are satisfied with the judge's sentence and believe it sends a clear message that this kind of senseless violence will be punished to the fullest extent of the law."
