Rio Rancho officers talk with Cardana about the firearms inside the home.
“You’re a firearms guy?” an officer asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Cardana said.
“Nice,” the officer said.
“They’re loaded. They’re ready to go,” Cardana said.
“We don’t need to see them,” the officer said. “There’s one probably right there in that case. And I see another one over there.”
The officer continued saying, “I like folks that have guns,” since he is a gun owner himself. As the officers begin to say their goodbyes to Cardana and Fannell, she begs them to stay at the home.
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Then, the conversation continues between Cardana and Fannell once the officers say they have to go.
“What did you say?” Fannell asked.
“I said you’re fine until I kill you,” Cardana said.
“All right? He’s threatened to do that,” Fannell said to the Rio Rancho police officers.
“Get out of here now,” Cardana said to the officers. “Go away.”
The two officers leave, and four hours later, 911 receives another call. This time from a neighbor.
“The neighbor man was screaming for help and told us to call the police,” the neighbor said. “He says he’s killed her.”
Police returned to find Cardana covered in blood. He had just shot and killed Fannell, according to court documents. KOAT legal expert John Day says more could have been done.