COURTS
Albuquerque man convicted in friend's 2025 killing
Both men were drinking before the fatal shooting
Published
Modified
A jury on Thursday convicted 31-year-old Adam Roberts of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a friend last year while the two were drinking in Southeast Albuquerque.
Jurors declined to convict Roberts of the more serious charge of first-degree murder he faced in the death of 23-year-old Gavin Huntsman.
The verdict came on the fourth day of Roberts' trial in 2nd Judicial District Court before Judge Cindy Leos. Roberts faces more than 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing has not been scheduled.
Police responded to a report of a shooting at midday on Feb. 17, 2025, in the 300 block of Washington SE, near Coal and Zuni. Officers found Huntsman in a parking lot with a gunshot wound to his head, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Roberts was sitting on a curb with a handgun nearby.
A woman at the scene told police that Roberts 鈥渁ccidentally鈥� shot Huntsman after he and Huntsman were "messing with the gun (and) the gun went off," the complaint said.
The woman told police that the three were drinking at Roberts' apartment when Roberts said he wanted to go to the West Mesa to shoot his new handgun, the complaint said. The three went shooting, then bought more alcohol before returning to the apartment.
While they were in the parking lot, Roberts told Huntsman to "get your (expletive) together," then raised his handgun and said, "I might as well kill you if you don't care about your life," before shooting him, the woman told police.
