Police: Man shot landlord nine times

TIJERAS, N.M. (KRQE) – The suspect in the latest Tijeras homicide appeared in Albuquerque Metropolitan Court Sunday after he recovered from a gunshot wound in the hospital.

Kenneth Therrell is accused of shooting his landlord to death after the two got into a struggle over a handgun.

Therrell claims that an argument with his landlord escalated to gunfire and he shot back in self defense, but sheriff's deputies are calling the incident murder.

"The injuries to Billy Williamson suggest that it wasn't self defense, the injuries were sustained to the back," Bernalillo County Sheriff's Deputy Lawrence Koren said.

The shooting happened Friday evening on Sedillo Road in Tijeras.

Therrell told investigators he and his landlord, Billy Williamson, were arguing when Williamson grabbed a gun and shot Therrell once in the arm.

Deputies said Williamson was shot a total of nine times, eight in the back and once in the head.

Therrell waited about an hour and a half before calling 911, and during that time he drank shots of whiskey, according to investigators.

After being treated at University of New Mexico Hospital, Therrell was taken directly to the Albuquerque Metropolitan Detention Center.

He's being held on a no bond hold.

Background investigators with the court said Therrell has a prior murder conviction out of South Carolina in 1982.

If he's convicted in this murder, he could face life in prison.