An Albuquerque, New Mexico, man not only murdered his mother but also proceeded to dismember her body. He then hid her remains in the freezer, but what was his motive for this tragedy? Moreover, what will his ultimate punishment be for such a crime? Keep reading for more details on this horrific discovery.
New Mexico Man Murders & Dismembers Mom
A tragedy has just come out of New Mexico, and the details continue to get even more grim. A forty-nine-year-old man killed his mother and then went on to cut up her body. After he did this, he did not dispose of the remains. Rather, he put them in the freezer, and his reasoning behind doing this is rather interesting. Ernestina Lucero, 69, was reported missing from Albuquerque by her niece on October 17th, 2025. As it turned out, Ernestina had not contacted her family in over a month. Moreover, she had stated she was scared of her son, Leroy Vallejos.
Leroy lived with his mother when she went missing, but he claimed that she had gone off with a boyfriend on October 15th, 2025. That was allegedly the last time he saw his mother, yet that was not the truth. On October 28th, authorities performed a welfare check on Ernestina. The neighbors noted that, yes, she had been MIA, but also, they stated that she was spotted fighting with Leroy. Once the police got to the home, he maintained that his mother was in Mexico with her boyfriend. They then saw a large freezer that contained bits of a human inside.
Why Did It Happen?
Leroy Vallejos claimed that he had “snapped” upon being arrested and made it known he was not the person that they thought he was. This meant that he did not want them to believe he was a bad guy and had a reason for what went down. Per the New Mexico man, his mother, as well as other family members, had gone to the dark side. He noted that they were ‘people giving their lives to darkness.’ Additionally, Leroy claimed that he had discovered a sick plan:
“Leroy believed he had discovered that he had been ‘promised to Satan’ by his mother based upon statements he had heard from other ‘witches’ combined with his own speculation.”
He proceeded to strangle his mother and then put her in the freezer. She had been there for around three weeks. As for why and when he dismembered her body, that is unknown. However, Leroy alleged he did not turn himself in as he had planned due to his pets. He did not want them split up, so he opted not to say anything. Leroy’s next hearing is set for November 4th, 2025. It is unclear what New Mexico will do to him, but followers of this story believe he is mentally ill:
- I’m sorry but this sounds like a severe mental illness. Is it something that can be treated with expected good results or will he continue to be this way? At this point it looks like he needs to be in a State Mental Hospital.
Have you heard of this story yet, and what do you think the punishment should be? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…