FILE 331 / 29 October 2022 / 68 MIN / express

A Pact Of Evil

Bernardo, New MexicoListen

The town

N ↑Public placePublic placePublic placeTown centre (approximate places)
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We're going to Bernardo, New Mexico; it is about 50 minutes south of Albuquerque, and the body was taken to Socorro County. about 0:02:57

History, in brief

Town note

There were almost twice as many people in the area about 15 years ago; they have cleared out.

about 0:05:00

1902

Bernardo was named in 1902 by John Becker after his friend Bernardo.

about 0:05:06

Town note

The main point of interest is the Bernardo Wildlife Management Area, which has sandhill cranes.

about 0:05:23

Town note

It is situated in the Albuquerque basin, and old Route 66 goes through the area.

about 0:05:34
All 4 history facts

Town note

There were almost twice as many people in the area about 15 years ago; they have cleared out.

about 0:05:00

1902

Bernardo was named in 1902 by John Becker after his friend Bernardo.

about 0:05:06

Town note

The main point of interest is the Bernardo Wildlife Management Area, which has sandhill cranes.

about 0:05:23

Town note

It is situated in the Albuquerque basin, and old Route 66 goes through the area.

about 0:05:34

The figures, as told

Money

Median home value$222,200
Median household incomeabout $37,500 a year
All figures and comparisons, as told in 2022

Elevation

"4,750 feet"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:03:38

Population of the zip code

"703 people"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:04:22

Population density

"12 people per square mile"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:04:27

Population change

"almost twice as many people 15 years ago"

Direction: above.

As told in 2022 about 0:05:00

Median household income

"about $37,500 a year"

No direction stated.

As told in 2022 about 0:04:45

Median home cost

"$222,200"

Comparison: "lower than the national average". Direction: below.

As told in 2022 about 0:04:53

The reviews

3.8 / 5 · average of 4

5 stars

“This town is so small it's considered a village. Many of the residents are friendly and willing to help out, if you can find them. Mostly quiet, with the Rio Grande to the west and the Sandia and Manzano mountains to the east, and many trails. The only issue is that it isn't close to a college and is in the middle of nowhere.”
about 0:06:04

3 stars

“A wonderful community for rural living, a beautiful area along the Rio Grande with many farms and ranches, a strong sense of community, and lovely ditches and bike paths, with cranes, egrets, falcons and hawks.”
about 0:06:54

4 stars

“A cute little town, quiet for the most part and nice to be away from the busy city; the only thing is everyone knows everyone.”
about 0:08:03

3 stars

“I haven't been in the market for long, but it seemed about the same as everywhere else.”
about 0:08:30

In New Mexico

Closest episodes

  1. The Miracle MurderTijeras, New Mexico · 1 July 202185 km / 53 miShow on map
  2. Slaughter At Bloody RanchHondo, New Mexico · 8 August 2024185 km / 115 miShow on map
  3. A Deadly MassacreChimayo, New Mexico · 14 June 2017193 km / 120 miShow on map
  4. Three Suspects & A MoronSilver City, New Mexico · 6 July 2023226 km / 140 miShow on map
  5. A Young, Budding Serial KillerSt. Johns, Arizona · 1 March 2017233 km / 145 miShow on map

The story

On the night of 22 November 1992, three young people from Albuquerque, New Mexico, drank through the evening and then decided to go out and shoot rabbits in the desert. Before they reached the rabbits they changed plan and decided to pick up a hitchhiker and frighten him.

Near the University of New Mexico, on East Central Avenue, they saw Adam Price, a 17-year-old high school senior at Freedom High School who had drifted away from his classes and was walking home after playing video games at an arcade.

They left Interstate 25 at the Bernardo exit, a lonely pull-off in the wildlife preserve off U.S. 60 in Socorro County, and stopped at the side of the road. Morrison, who had swapped to the 9mm, shot him twice and kept a spent casing as a souvenir. In all he was hit by ten rounds from three weapons. They took his jacket, which he had taken off, and drove away.

His body was found on the morning of 24 November 1992 by game and fish officers off U.S. 60 in Bernardo. He had been shot ten times and had bled to death, with blunt-force injuries to his face and defensive wounds on his forearms and hands. He was identified through a gift certificate in his pocket from his grandparents; 23 November had been his birthday. The case went cold into 1993. The press briefly reported it as a gay bashing, which the investigation did not support; the lead detective said the killers had simply wanted someone to scare.

A tip reached Crime Stoppers on 15 December 1993. The three had made a pact that whoever the evidence fell on would take the blame, but it did not hold.

He had been imprisoned in 1995 for raping his 14-year-old stepsister, which he said he did to be near his brother.

The case

Murder of Adam Price

Victims

Adam Price (17). high school senior at Freedom High School who had stopped attending classes; killed on his 17th birthday

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 29 October 2022.

Accused

Accused

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Jennifer Jones. shared a house with the s and ; separated from Brian Jones in October 1993 and moved in with and his wife; told police what she heard and saw
Brian Jones. Jennifer Jones's estranged husband, friends with and ; told police said 'we killed somebody'
Charles Price. Adam Price's father

The timeline

  1. November 22, 1992 , and Morrison spend the evening drinking, then decide to go out and shoot rabbits in the desertabout 0:16:08
  2. November 22, 1992 The three change plan and decide to pick up a hitchhiker and scare himabout 0:18:50
  3. November 22, 1992 They drive Buick near the University of New Mexico and spot Adam Price walking near East Central Avenue (East Central Avenue)about 0:23:46
  4. November 22, 1992 shouts at Price, who gives him the finger; points the .44 at him and forces him into the car (East Central Avenue)about 0:25:01
  5. November 22, 1992 holds the steering wheel and Morrison keeps her foot on the accelerator while pistol-whips Price in the back seatabout 0:25:37
  6. November 22, 1992 They leave Interstate 25 at the Bernardo exit and pull off into the wildlife preserve (Bernardo exit)about 0:26:12
  7. November 22, 1992 makes Price stand at the back of the car, beats him with the .44 and his fists, then shoots him twice at close range (Bernardo pull-off)about 0:28:23
  8. November 22, 1992 Morrison shoots Price twice with the 9mm and keeps a spent casing as a souvenir (Bernardo pull-off)about 0:29:37
  9. November 22, 1992 and fire three shotgun rounds into Price and Morrison shoots him again with the .44, ten rounds in all (Bernardo pull-off)about 0:30:13
  10. November 22, 1992 They take Price's jacket and drive back to Albuquerque (Bernardo pull-off)about 0:30:36
  11. November 23, 1992 Adam Price's 17th birthday, the day he was killedabout 0:31:11

Murders by

Victims

Althea Norine Oakley (21). University of New Mexico student, killed in 1988; she was three blocks from home when taken
Caitlin Claire Arquette (18). killed in 1989; daughter of author Lois Duncan
Unnamed woman (19). killed in 1990; said to be the first recipient of a scholarship created in Oakley's memory

Accused and outcomes

As told in the episode, on 29 October 2022.

Accused

Outcome

Other people

Lois Duncan. Caitlin Claire Arquette's mother, author of I Know What You Did Last Summer, who wrote two non-fiction books about the killing

The timeline

  1. 1988 Althea Norine Oakley, a 21-year-old University of New Mexico student, is killed (University of New Mexico)about 1:02:17

Places and phrases

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Places in the story

Public places are marked on the map.

Heard in this episode