N.M. man sentenced for fatally shooting his mother and hiding her body under pile of clothes

CLOVIS, N.M. (TCN) — A man will spend time behind bars for fatally shooting his mother three years ago.

The Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office for New Mexico announced that Martin Caballero-Diaz pleaded guilty on Oct. 1 to second-degree murder in connection with the death of his mother. He received 21 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections and will have to serve at least 18 years before he’s eligible for parole.

According to prosecutors, the Clovis Police Department performed a welfare check at a home on North Lea Street on Aug. 24, 2022. At the scene, officers discovered the body of the defendant’s mother, 57-year-old Joann Caballero, underneath a pile of clothes. She was pronounced deceased, and an autopsy revealed she died of two gunshot wounds.

Authorities located Caballero-Diaz in a bathroom of an adjoining front residence and took him into custody. Investigators recovered multiple pieces of evidence, including spent casings, a pistol, and Caballero’s purse. Officials tested DNA from the firearm, linking the defendant to the crime.

Prosecutors said members of the victim’s family delivered “emotional victim impact statements” at sentencing.

The victim’s daughter reportedly stated, “There are no words that can fully capture the pain of losing my mom, but it is even harder to accept when her life was taken by the very person she loved, raised, and trusted.”

Caballero’s sister added, “Joann was a kind-hearted and compassionate person who always put others before herself. Her sudden and violent death has left a void in our lives that can never be filled.”

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