Part of conviction in stabbing death overturned

The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday reversed part of a man's conviction in the 2010 stabbing death of Andrew Gama, 21, of Clovis.

Luciano Guerra of Clovis was convicted in February 2011 of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, accused of stabbing Gama 13 times and hiding the knife. The weapon was never recovered.

On appeal, the Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction but overturned the one for tampering with evidence, noting the jury had insufficient evidence to convict.

Justices noted "the State in this case essentially asked the jury to infer that an overt, intentional act of hiding the weapon has taken place soley on the fact that the police never found the weapon."

Guerra received a life sentence on the murder charge.