APD makes arrest in 1987 murder

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A cold case is heating up with word Albuquerque police have arrested the man wanted for a 1987 murder.

Detectives said Ronald Brewington skipped town after murdering his estranged wife at an apartment complex on Coal and 10th near downtown.

In 1987 court records show Brewington had filed for divorce from his wife Diedre, two months after he sought to end their marriage Diedre was found dead in her apartment.

Police suspected all along it was Brewington who gunned her down.

“Detectives were able to determine that the offender had been indicted but had never been arrested and held accountable for the crime he committed,” Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz said.

Brewington was indicted on first degree murder a year after Deidre’s death but he bolted, leaving Albuquerque and his past behind.

That was nearly 25 years ago the case went cold until last year.

“We don’t get rid of that evidence for those unsolved homicides, so every couple years we bring the case back up we re-review the photographs, we try to interview witnesses that may still be around,” said Chief Schultz.

The Chief said that is what happened in this case, detectives were reviewing it with a fresh set of eyes and he said they got lucky.

“They were able to basically figure out where the offender was that he had changed his name, had lived several different places across the country and was currently in the Oakland, California area,” Schultz said.

APD Detectives headed up to Oakland to find Brewington, working with local cops the FBI and U.S. Marshals, detectives were finally able to catch-up with Brewington ending his time on the run for good.

Brewington is behind bars awaiting extradition to Albuquerque.

The statute of limitations on first degree murder back in 1987 was only 15 years however APD believes because Brewington was indicted for the murder during that time he is fair game.