Torreon murder case back in spotlight

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Shaun Wilkins and Roy Buchner claim they were forced to confess. The two formerly accused murderers in the Torreon Cabin murder case are suing the cops who questioned them. On Monday, the jury selection started in the case against their accusers.

The complaint, filed by Wilkins and Buchner in August 2002, said they were 'denied due process' - a violation of one's 14th Amendment rights - when they were interviewed by police.

The three defendents in the case are former Albuquerque police officer Juan DeReyes and New Mexico Department of Public Safety officers Michael Fenner and Frank Jacoby.

In the civil rights lawsuit, Wilkins and Buchner accuse the officers of trying to coerce a false confession from them in the murders of then Ben Anaya, 17, Cassandra Sedillo, 23, and Sedillo's two small sons Johnny and Matthew Garcia. Anaya and Sedillo were shot while her sons were left to starve.

Wilkins and Buchner were arrested along with Lawrence Nieto and Shawn Popeleski. The cases against Wilkins and Buchner ended in mistrials. Meanwhile, Nieto confessed and is serving four life sentences while Popeleski is serving two 15-year sentences.

In 2001, prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to retry Wilkins and Buchner, so all charges were dropped.

Wilkins wasn't in court on Monday for jury selection. He is jailed for allegedly assaulting his ex -wife and another woman at the end of 2009.