Cities     Alamagordo         Albuquerque         Hernandez

Alamagordo Murder (2 counts), Attempted Murder, Assault, Evading Arrest and Failure to Appear [Cloudcroft]        On December 18, 2004, Earl L. Flippen had an argument with his pregnant former girlfriend, Deborah Rhoudes, then murdered her. Neighbors called police and reported hearing gunshots. When Otero County sheriff's deputies arrived at the house, Flippen refused them entrance. The deputies went to call for assistance, and Flippen shot and killed 49-year-old Deputy Robert W. Hedman, Jr., who was standing at the back door of the house. He was then arrested by Deputy Hedman's partner, Deputy Billy Anders, who handcuffed him, placed him on the ground, and then shot him execution-style. This action was caught on the videotape running in Deputy Anders' patrol car.        Police found Deborah dead in the house, but her three-year-old daughter was unharmed. Otero County Sheriff John Blansett said that Deputy Hedman was a hero; "He saved a little girl's life by giving his own. ... He was a good guy and a good officer. He'll be surely missed."        Authorities named Flippen as a member of the violent white supremacist group Aryan Brotherhood. He had been arrested in October 2004 in Lamesa, Texas, and was charged with misdemeanor assault and evading arrest for assaulting Deborah, and failed to appear for a court date.        In 2005, Deputy Anders pled guilty to voluntary manslaughter with a firearm enhancement for the murder of Earl Flippen. References:  Amy L. Ashbridge. "Otsego Native Killed in Line of Duty in N.M." The Daily Star Online, December 21, 2004; Anti-Defamation League's Law Enforcement Agency Resource Network (LEARN). "White Supremacist Kills Officer and Pregnant Woman in New Mexico." January 6, 2005; Monica M. Brown. "Tight Security Marks Beginning of Anders Sentencing Hearing." Alamogordo Daily News, March 3, 2006. Albuquerque Murder and Kidnapping        In 1987, Darci Pierce faked a pregnancy for nearly a year, even stuffing her clothing to make herself look pregnant. She kidnapped Cindy Ray, who was eight months pregnant, from outside an Albuquerque clinic, threatened her with a gun, took her to a remote area up into the mountains, hit her on the head and then strangled her with a strap. Then she messily cut the near-term baby out of her with a car key.        Pierce then tried to pass the newborn off as her own but came under suspicion when she would not allow medical personnel to examine her when she went to a local hospital to get a birth certificate for the baby.        A jury found her guilty of murder but mentally ill, and sentenced her to not less than thirty years in prison.        Pierce's case is one of a growing number of what experts call "Cesarian kidnappings," and is discussed in detail in Dean T. Hughes' book Lullaby and Goodnight [Pocket Books, 1992]. In July 2002, The Journal of Forensic Sciences published a study that called the practice "newborn kidnapping by Cesarian section," and Pierce was the first woman believed to have attempted it. Reference:  Richard Willing. "'Bizarre' Cesarian Kidnappings Increase." USA Today, April 14, 2005. Death Threats (12 incidents) and Harassment (100 incidents)        After a successful political campaign that retired two pro-abortion politicians, pro-abortionists harassed New Mexico pro-lifers in the Albuquerque area with hundreds of obscene telephone calls, including at least a dozen death threats against them and their children. Reference:  "Threats, Obscenities, and Wire-Taps Visited on Pro Lifers in New Mexico." National Right to Life News, April 1979, page 2. Gross Negligence        Abortionist David Cohn performed a suction abortion on a 28-week, 2.2 pound unborn baby whom he misdiagnosed as being only 6 to 8 weeks along. The baby was later delivered dead. His license to practice obstetrics or perform abortions in the State of New Mexico was suspended, and he was placed on 10 years' probation. He was originally charged with misdiagnosing the preborn child's age, admitting a patient without giving information with regard to her condition, and lying to the Office of Medical Investigations. Reference:  Leslie Bond. "Abortionist Admits 'Gross Negligence' In Grisly Abortion Death." National Right to Life News, December 4, 1986, page 6. Hernandez Murder, Attempted Murder, Kidnapping, Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (2 counts), Assault (3 incidents), Aggravated Battery, Robbery, Eluding Police, Probation Violation, Giving Alcohol to Minors and Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)        According to police and prosecution documents and witness testimony, the following events occurred in and around Hernandez, New Mexico.        On April 27, 2007, Christopher Branch beat his pregnant girlfriend, Contessa Salazar, in his home. After the beating, both he and she left the house. He then saw her walking alongside the road and grabbed her by the hair, trying to pull her into his pickup truck while it was moving. He could not do so, and so hit her with the door of the pickup, knocking her down, and then ran over her legs and pelvis.        Three other motorists witnessed this brutal assault and stopped to render assistance. As they were trying to help, Branch tried to run them down. He finally hit one of the men, 44-year-old Michael Rutkowski, at a high rate of speed, throwing him 50 feet and killing him instantly.        Branch then took off in his pickup and led police on a chase covering several miles.        He was finally arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and eluding police.        He had past convictions for robbery, concealing his identity, giving alcohol to minors and driving while intoxicated (DWI). Branch's own mother had filed restraining orders against him five times, the most recent being served on April 27, 2007.        Contessa was hospitalized for her injuries and was discharged two days later. Her preborn child was not harmed by the attack. She had gotten pregnant in February when both she and Branch were inmates at the Santa Fe, New Mexico County Jail, he for probation violations and she awaiting trial on a larceny charge. A female guard allowed them to have sex in the jail's recreation room. The whole incident was caught on tape, and the guard was fired.        Michael Rutkowski's family was not surprised that he had stopped to help Contessa. His father was a Connecticut State Trooper who instilled in him and his brother the desire to help people in need. Michael was an engineer at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and is survived by three children.        To show how completely out-of-touch some people can be, Branch and Salazar submitted a request to get married just two weeks after he tried his very best to murder her. One blogger commented "How about they both get put to death. Him for murder and her for being a dumbass. Then they can get hitched by the devil." References:  The Santa Fe New Mexican, April 30 and May 1, 2007; Natalie Storey. "Good Samaritan Killing: Police Dispute Woman's Warning Claim." The Santa Fe New Mexican, May 3, 2007; Charlie Morasch. "SUV Driver Killed as Good Samaritan, Truckers Stop Abusive Boyfriend." Land Line Magazine ["The Business Magazine for Professional Truckers"], May 4, 2007; Albuquerque Journal, May 11, 2007. To return to the introductory document, click here. To go to the Index for the pro-abortion violence database, click here. This document was updated on December 1, 2007.