New Mexico News Insiders

A Cold Case Murder Confession

"I'm tired of living with my lie.” Fourteen years after a New Mexico man went missing, Tony Ray Peralta said he was tired of living with guilt. Peralta borrowed someone’s cell phone at a Roswell Allsup's gas station, then called 911 to confess to the murder of his landlord. Peralta eventually led local police officers to the home where he said he’d buried William Blodgett's body in 2008. Now, he's charged with murder.

This week - KRQE Investigative Reporter Ann Pierret joins Chris and Gabby to discuss the unexpected cold case confession. Why did Peralta confess now? Is he telling the truth about what happened? 

Check out Ann's full story on KRQE.com, titled: "‘He was a good man’: Guilt-ridden Roswell man confesses to killing landlord in 2008."

We want to hear from our listeners! Send your feedback or story ideas to hosts chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

Police Chief Details Loss, Bravery After Farmington Mass Shooting

Two weeks ago, Farmington in northwest New Mexico faced a mass shooting. Three people were killed and six others were wounded before police shot and killed the shooter, an 18-year-old high school student.

Chris and Gabby sit down with Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe in an extended conversation about the loss within the community, how officers responded to the active shooter, and how people are dealing with the aftermath. Investigators say the shooter was firing at random. Were there any red flags before the teen gunman started a rampage? How are officers feeling about what happened? Chief Hebbe also discusses his thoughts on any possible "lessons learned" from the event.

Farmington Police held a series of news conferences in the days after the shooting. We've compiled links here to each of those news conferences, where investigators detailed what happened, the evidence they've collected, and published video from surveillance and body cameras telling the story of how officers responded to an active shooter. Here is a closer look at the victims who were killed.

Your feedback and ideas are welcome in our messages. Email us at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

The Transition From State’s Top Cop To Local Business Owner

Pete Kassetas has a decades-long career in law enforcement, but for a little more than five years, he was one of the most visible people in New Mexico criminal justice. The former Chief led New Mexico State Police from 2013 to 2018 and along the way, he had a voice in some of the state's biggest news stories.

In a rare and candid sit-down with Chris and Gabby, Kassetas shares stories behind his ups and downs in law enforcement, and what it was like to be the face of New Mexico’s largest police agency. He also shares what he's up to now as part of the ownership team behind Downshift Brewing Company, an Old Town Albuquerque brewery taphouse that's become a central part of revitalization efforts in the area. Now on the other side of dealing with crime, the former lawman also offers his perspective on what it’s like owning a business in Albuquerque. 

Why did he shift from being a cop to a brew boss? Has his view on handling crime changed? Those topics and many more are discussed in this week's extended episode. Here are a few of the biggest news stories Kassetas spoke of, or was a part of over the years, as mentioned in this week's episode:

• November 2013 - Taos minivan shooting
• December 2013 - Taos protestors meet Chief Kassetas
• January 2014 - Roswell school shooting investigation
• June 2016 - State Police Chief responds to officers ignoring DWI investigation of DA
• June 2017 - State Police Chief asks Forrest Fenn to call off treasure hunt
• June 2017 - Reaction to Forrest Fenn treasure hunt comments
• December 2017 - Aztec High School shooting news conference
• May 2019 - $1.7 million paid in confidential state settlements

Give us a shout! Email us at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

 

Why A UNM Professor Thinks You Should Learn ChatGPT

"ChatGPT" is a big deal on the internet today. Released in November, the publicly available, AI-driven chatbot is trained to understand and answer text-based questions in an unprecedented way. Its answers can be so convincing that you may feel like you're talking to a real person, not a computer. If you haven't tried it yet, here's a link.

There's a lot of excitement about how people might use these advanced chatbots. But ChatGPT and generative AI is also raising questions about how people can misuse the technology, particularly in the world of education where students are expected to research, write, and publish their own original material. 

How is generative AI impacting education? What does this say about our future workforce? 

This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby welcome a top New Mexico educator, University of New Mexico Professor and Dean, Leo S. Lo for an extended conversation about ChatGPT. Lo is the Dean of UNM's College of University Libraries & Learning Sciences. He's also written about the need to train students on how to use AI language models effectively. Hear more about why Lo thinks ChatGPT shouldn't be ignored or banned in academia, also, the benefits and the drawbacks he sees with groundbreaking technology.

We like hearing from our viewers, whether it's feedback or ideas. Email us at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

How Albuquerque Police Are Reorganizing Messy Investigations

Gone are the days of officers dropping off hand-written documents and police reports into a bin for prosecutors to sort through. New Mexico’s biggest city is adopting the use of a new homegrown database software called ‘Case Catcher.’ The program is aimed at helping investigators build better cases and stay organized. 

How organized an investigation is - matters a lot, especially in a high-stakes case like a murder trial, for instance. And for years, metro-area criminal justice professionals have shared stories about cases being dismissed or impacted by problems with evidence, or what's called discovery in the court system. This week, Chris and Gabby host return guest and Albuquerque Police Deputy Commander, Kyle Hartsock to talk about how Case Catcher aims to keep problems from happening. 

How does Case Catcher work? Why did it take so long to get online? And who took the lead in this project? The answer might surprise you.

You can always let us know what you think, we'd love to hear it. Send your feedback or story ideas us via email - chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

How Did Alec Baldwin’s Criminal Case Get So Messy?

New Mexico prosecutors recently dropped an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in relation to the fatal 2021 "Rust" movie set shooting near Santa Fe. Attorneys cited 'new facts' that demand further investigation in their case dismissal.

While prosecutors can still refile charges, the sudden shift comes after months of reports about procedural challenges to the prosecution. The Santa Fe District Attorney's Office has faced issues, including the timing of charges and changes to who is going to prosecute the case.

This week on the podcast, a longtime criminal defense attorney and legal expert, Ahmad Assed, returns to the show. Assed helps us break down the complications of the case and what thinks is next. 

How did this case get so messy? Will prosecutors re-file charges against Alec Baldwin? If you missed our initial episode on the Rust case, you can catch it here on KRQE.com/podcasts, or scroll down to the episode titled, "Will Alec Baldwin Face A Trial In New Mexico?"

Got some thoughts about the show or people you'd like to hear from? Send feedback or story ideas to your hosts  chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

New Mexico Schools Invest In AI Gun-Detection

In 2023, student safety is among the biggest concerns that school administrators have about their campuses. Each school year, we continue to hear stories about students bringing guns and other weapons on to school campuses. Not every incident leads to someone getting hurt, but regardless, the issue always raises concerns about what more can be done to stop violent situations from unfolding.

At least one New Mexico school district is now making an investment to try to help address campus safety through technology. In southeast New Mexico, Clovis Municipal Schools is investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technology that's designed to help identify guns seen on campus through existing surveillance cameras.

This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby welcome two guests to discuss the technology. First, the Director of Operations for Clovis Schools, Loren Hill joins the conversation to talk about the district’s decision to add AI to its toolbox. In the second half of the show, hear from Tim Sulzer, chief technology officer and co-founder of ZeroEyes, the company that makes the technology. Sulzer shares more about how the tech works and what it can do for first responders in an emergency. 

We appreciate hearing from our listeners. Send feedback or story ideas to your hosts  chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

Will United Build A Stadium At Balloon Fiesta Park?

It’s been a burning question since 2021 when voters turned down a $50 million bond to build a soccer stadium near downtown Albuquerque. Where else might New Mexico United build a venue for their young and popular team? In recent weeks, United's owner Peter Trevisani leaked a big hint: the stadium could go in a place that rhymes with ‘Lagoon Siesta Park.’

So how should we take this news? Will the franchise build a stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park? What more needs to be done before the steel and rebar start going up? This week, Chris and Gabby get the low-down from the team’s owner and president/CEO, Peter Trevisani. He shares his vision for what a stadium would look like, why Balloon Fiesta Park, how it'll get paid for, and his idea on what the possible venue could mean for the city and state.

We also dig into the past with Trevisani, regarding the 2021 bond. Why does he think voters turned down the bond question? What has he learned from the experience?  Those questions and more are all on this week's extended interview.

Do you have thoughts about the show or people you'd like to hear from? Send feedback or story ideas to your hosts  chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

 

What New Laws Will Hit New Mexico In 2023?

We're now about one month removed from the end of the latest New Mexico legislative session. Despite it being 60 days long (double the length of last year's session), it seems like this was a "fast and furious" legislative session (see what we did there?)

This week on the podcast, Chris and Gabby host KRQE.com's Digital Data Investigative Reporter Curtis Segarra for a deeper break down of the big bills that passed, and the ones that didn’t make it through. Curtis penned well over 100 stories about happens inside the New Mexico Roundhouse this session, all of which are available for view now on KRQE.com.

Was this a big session for crime? What happened with all of those tax rebates that the Governor talked about? Listen in for an extended conversation about the big topics and some of the other bills affecting the environment, voting rights, school lunches and more.

Finally, here's a write up on some of the big bills the Governor vetoed this session.

Like the show? Let us know. Send feedback or story ideas to your hosts  chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.

 

A Warning From An IRS Criminal Investigator

Perhaps you've filed your taxes already? Or maybe you're waiting until the last minute? Regardless of your choice, the fact remains that you probably have to file something with the government. This week on the podcast, we're taking a closer look at the process behind tax law enforcement with the IRS. A special agent and public information officer for the IRS' Criminal Investigation Division, Brian Watson joins the podcast.

What are some of the most common tax scams and problems hitting filers in 2023? Are there any new questions from the IRS that you should you watch out for? (Hint: They want to know about your crypto.) Should you be worried about getting audited, or if the federal government will come after you if you make a mistake? Who really took down Al Capone? These questions and more are discussed in this week's extended interview.

We love hearing from listeners! Send feedback or story ideas to your hosts  chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com. We're also on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at @ChrisMcKeeTV and @gburkNM. For more on this episode and all of our prior episodes, visit our podcast website: KRQE.com/podcasts.