GUILTY
Jury convicts Evans of first-degree murder

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Phil Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Joseph Evans willfully and deliberately killed 16-year-old Felicia Penaloza.

That was the decision of 12 jurors, who spent about 12 hours deliberating between Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning. The trial ended Monday about 4:30 p.m., and the jury returned its verdict Wednesday about 11:50 a.m. Joseph Evans has been convicted of first-degree murder, for which the penalty is a mandatory life sentence.

In New Mexico, a life sentence equals 30 years in a state penitentiary. The jury also found Evans guilty of tampering with evidence, for which he may face an additional three years in prison. That decision will be made by Judge Robert Aragon at a sentencing hearing, which will likely be held after the start of the new year.

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