ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The man accused of murdering and decapitating a homeless woman in 2017 received his sentence in court on Friday morning, August 18. Andrew Garcia will serve 14 years for the murder of 39-year-old Audra Willis of To’hajiilee.
Willis’s body was found stabbed and decapitated near a ditch in the Four Hills area in December 2017. The death of Willis sparked concern among homeless advocates and Native American communities.
Related coverage:
- Police identify woman found decapitated in Four Hills area
- APD: Three arrested in connection to 2017 murder case
- Judge orders men accused in homeless woman’s murder held until trial
- Man pleads guilty to 2017 murder of homeless woman
The case was cold for a year and a half until a ten-year-old told a school counselor that he had witnessed the murder. Garcia was arrested in June 2019 for first-degree murder but pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April 2023.
Under the plea deal, Garcia was facing a sentence of up to 18 years. In court on Friday, Judge Bruce Fox suspended four of those years for a sentence of 14 years, followed by probation.
