Portales man receives 16-year prison sentence for slaying

PORTALES - A 36-year-old Portales man on Monday was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the 2018 shooting death of Erika Zamorano.

Gerardo Marquez was found guilty of second-degree murder on Sept. 27.

According to a news release from District Attorney Andrea Reeb:

• On April 19, 2018, Erika Zamorano, age 32, was found dead inside her Portales residence from a single gunshot wound to the head. Family members had become concerned because she failed to pick her children up from school that day. Zamorano and Marquez had been in an intimate relationship.

• Erika Zamorano's mother and sister gave victim impact statements to the court; the sister, Arlene, stated that she forgave Marquez.

• Judge Donna J. Mowrer's sentence included a one-year enhancement for the use of a firearm.

• Prosecutors argued that Marquez is a habitual offender; however Marquez denied the allegations. That means the court will hold a habitual offender hearing at a later date. Marquez could face an additional four years, making his sentence a total of 20 years.

• The crime is classified as a serious violent offense, which means Marquez will have to serve 85% of his sentence before being considered for parole.

Jake Boazman and Quentin Ray prosecuted the case for the state. Marquez was represented by criminal defense attorney Dan Lindsey of Clovis.

Lindsey said both the defense and prosecution worked hard on the case. An appeal is planned, primarily based on the eyewitness testimony. Lindsey said the witness was on drugs and had gone two days without sleep at the time of the incident.

“The state’s eyewitness, who they relied heavily upon, he was a very violent person,” Lindsey said. “He lied to police for six hours (in interrogations).”