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Gallup man sentenced to 14 years in 2017 stabbing death, decapitation
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A Gallup man who pleaded guilty to killing and decapitating a Native American woman in 2017 was sentenced Friday to 14 years in prison.
Andrew Garcia Jr., 35, pleaded guilty in April to second-degree murder in the death of Audra Willis, 39, whose body was found in a sandy arroyo in the Four Hills neighborhood on Dec. 23, 2017.
An autopsy found that Willis had been stabbed multiple times in her back, chest and abdomen and had been decapitated, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metro Court. Garcia was sentenced Friday by 2nd Judicial District Judge Bruce Fox.
Willis, a mother of six, made her home in both To鈥檋ajiilee and Albuquerque, often sleeping on the streets or relying on others for a place to stay.
As detectives began investigating her death, they began hearing about a man named 鈥淭wo Feathers,鈥� who had been seen with Willis in the days before she died.
Albuquerque police got a break in the case in May 2019, more than a year after Willis鈥� death, when law enforcement in El Paso said that a juvenile had reported being a witness to the killing, the complaint said. The juvenile鈥檚 interview later led to Garcia鈥檚 identification as the killer.
The juvenile told police he was riding in a truck with Willis and others when they stopped at a friend鈥檚 house to use the bathroom. The juvenile stayed in the truck with Willis and 鈥淭wo Feathers.鈥�
The juvenile 鈥渟aid he was talking with Audra (Willis) when he noticed she began gurgling,鈥� the complaint said. 鈥淭wo Feathers鈥� told the juvenile that Willis was in a 鈥渧ery deep sleep.鈥�
鈥淭wo Feathers鈥� began fighting with another man, then ran away, the complaint said.
The juvenile said he, his mother and the other man drove the truck to the Four Hills area, where they dumped Willis鈥� body. The juvenile鈥檚 mother later identified 鈥淭wo Feathers鈥� as Garcia, the complaint said.
