Tucumcari man sentenced to life in prison

It took a jury about 45 minutes to find Robert Wynashe of Tucumcari guilty of murder Friday in a trial delayed four years over competency issues.

Wynashe 70, was sentenced to life in prison for the 2009 shooting death of Howard Russell King in Tucumcari.

"The family is ready for closure," said Tom Blakney, lead prosecutor for the 10th Judicial District Attorney's office.

Wynashe was arrested in June 2009, accused of shooting 45-year-old King in the back of the neck at the Redwood Lodge in Tucumcari.

King was hospitalized and family members said he was in intensive care and was paralyzed before dying in August at a rehabilitation hospital in Albuquerque.

Wynashe was found incompetent to stand trial in 2011 by District Judge Albert J. Mitchell.

Defense attorney Anna Aragon of Las Vegas and then-state's senior trial Attorney Tim Rose agreed to send Wynashe to Las Vegas, for treatment until he was competent to stand trial.

Wynashe was released from Las Vegas in 2012 and transported back to Quay County to stand trial.

The jury returned a guilty verdict for first-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

Mitchell allowed the family members of the victim to speak before sentencing.

"I feel anger, in the past four years not once have I seen or heard you feel remorse for taking the life of my brother," said Tina Molina.

Molina said her brother was a good person with a kind heart and Wynashe deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

"You sentenced my family and I to a life sentence without my brother," Molina said. "I hope for the rest of your life, you think about what you done and one day feel remorse."

Twyla Deshazo, King's daughter, said it was difficult to put in to words how the homicide affected her family

Deshazo said she had only begun to know her father and wished she had more time with him. She said he never had the chance to meet his second grandson.

"I'm distraught for you taking matters in to your own hands," Deshazo said.

Mitchell asked Wynashe if he had any comments before he was sentenced.

"Nothing I could say would make a difference," Wynashe said.

Mitchell sentenced Wynashe to life with the possibility of parole in 30 years.