Press release: Jury delivers guilty verdicts in Wal-Mart stabbing

Clovis, NM – Ninth Judicial District Attorney Matthew Chandler announced today that

Guadalupe Murillo, age 32, was found guilty by a Curry County jury of two counts of felony

Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and one misdemeanor count of Unlawful Possession

of a Switchblade.

On August 14, 2010, at approximately 7:30 pm, Carlos Lopez and Celestino Owens, both of

Clovis, entered Wal-Mart with their families to buy food for a cookout. At that time, Guadalupe

Murillo, an employee of Wal-Mart, approached Carlos Lopez and started to threaten to fight him.

During the argument, Murillo pulled a switchblade knife out of his pocket, opened the blade and

proceeded to stab Lopez several times in the chest and arms causing great bodily injury to Lopez.

Owens, while attempting to take the knife away from Murillo, was also stabbed just below the

chin.

Following the stabbings, Murillo went back to the automotive section where he was supposed to

be working at the time of the stabbing. Both victims were treated by EMT's at Wal-Mart and

then transported to the hospital for further care. Clovis Police responded to Wal-Mart and were

able to locate Murillo in the clothing section of Wal-Mart and place him under arrest.

District Attorney Matthew Chandler stated, "The District Attorney's Office is extremely pleased

with the guilty verdicts, and we are prepared to seek the maximum sentence allowed by law for

Murillo. We're glad our victims were able to recover from their injuries, and hope that today's

verdict brings them some justice and closure to this heinous act."

The jury deliberated for approximately three hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Andrea Reeb and Assistant District Attorney Christopher

Westenberger prosecuted the case for the State. James Klipstine represented the Defendant at

trial and unsuccessfully argued to the jury that his client acted in self-defense. Judge Stephen

Quinn presided over the proceedings. Following the announcement of the verdicts, Sheriff

Deputies took Murillo into immediate custody. A sentencing hearing will be set within the next

90 days where Murillo faces a maximum sentence of 8 ½ years in prison.