Homicide victim remembered two years later

It’s been two years since a Muleshoe woman was shot and killed hours after she may have witnessed another shooting.

Bernadette Vaughn still wants justice for her friend, Jaime Edgmon.

“She was a very fun person to be around, a very kind person,” Vaughn said last week on the eve of the anniversary of Edgmon’s death around sunrise on Oct. 13, 2020. Her body was left in an open area near a dairy southwest of Portales off NM 467.

Police said Edgmon, 41, had been with Keith Cordova, then 22, and Francisco Bustamante, then 24, that evening. Officials believe she may have witnessed those men’s involvement in the drug-related shooting of Juan Aguirre-Marquez earlier that morning. Aguirre-Marquez, then 29, has since recovered. He told police that Cordova shot him.

Police learned of Edgmon’s death after interviewing Cordova about the first shooting.

“Cordova keeps talking about this missing girl and saying he wasn’t the one who shot her,” District Attorney Andrea Reeb said at the time. “Police didn’t even know [Edgmon] was missing at this point,” Reeb said.

Cordova and Bustamante were originally scheduled to be tried together, both charged with murder in connection with Edgmon’s death. But Bustamante reached a plea deal with prosecutors on July 26. He pleaded guilty to harboring or aiding a felon, tampering with evidence and transportation or possession of a firearm by a felon. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Cordova is set to go on trial Nov. 28. He’s accused of killing Edgmon and shooting Aguirre-Marquez.

Court records show Cordova will be represented by Albuquerque attorney Marie Legrand Miller.

Asked for comment on the case Miller said, “I have no comment at this time because the case is still pending.”

Vaughn said she knew Edgmon when both lived in San Diego. Vaughn said Edgmon and her daughter were good friends.

Vaughn said she knew Edgmon “made some poor choices.”

“She was still a good person. She didn’t deserve what happened to her.”