New Mexico man charged in killing of his former landlord: ‘I needed to confess’

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Officers discovered Tony Peralta sitting on a curb not removed from a comfort retailer the place he borrowed a mobile phone to name 911 and confess to the 2008 killing of his former landlord.

Sweating and taking puffs from his cigarette, he informed them he’s uninterested in protecting it up, uninterested in dwelling with the lie and uninterested in being overwhelmed by guilt. He agreed to take the officers to the place he buried the physique earlier than standing up and volunteering to be cuffed.

Police within the southeastern New Mexico group of Roswell launched the 911 recording and practically an hour of officer physique digicam video in response to a data request filed by The Associated Press. The May 1 footage reveals Peralta repeatedly thanking the officers for choosing him up.

“I confess, man. I confess. I don’t want to live life anymore without confessing,” he stated whereas sitting in an interview room at police headquarters.

The uniformed officers and detectives who talked with Peralta peppered him with questions on when the killing occurred, how he did it and why. Peralta stored answering that he didn’t know or didn’t bear in mind, acknowledging that he had been consuming “a lot” the day he referred to as 911.

Peralta, 37, was arraigned Tuesday on a cost of first-degree homicide. His public defender has stated he’ll guarantee Peralta’s due course of is revered because the case strikes by way of courtroom.

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A decide on Tuesday additionally set Peralta’s trial for October however stated that date might change.

At instances, the authorities had requested if Peralta was making up the story and main them on a goose chase since he wasn’t offering many particulars, apart from saying he had killed somebody a very long time in the past.

“There’s a dead body in there, dude!” he informed one officer whereas at the back of a patrol automobile parked in entrance of the house the place he as soon as was a tenant of 69-year-old William Blodgett. Peralta stated he’d really feel higher as soon as the physique was discovered.

Investigators stated they obtained a search warrant and located a boot, bones and dentures after eradicating plywood floorboards from a indifferent room on the facet of the home.

The dentures have been in contrast with Blodgett’s dental data – obtained in early 2009 after he was reported lacking – and that led to a optimistic identification, in keeping with police.

A tearful Peralta informed police he didn’t know why he had killed Blodgett. At one level, police video reveals him placing his head down onto a desk throughout an interview and sobbing.

Peralta informed police he determined to come back ahead as a result of “his heart hurts” and that he thought of it day-after-day. He informed an officer that Blodgett was a superb man and that he took his life for no cause whereas excessive on methamphetamine.

“I don’t have an excuse,” he informed police. “A lot of people have an excuse. I don’t have one.”

Blodgett’s girlfriend and household had not seen him since late December 2008. She informed police that Peralta, who was thought-about a suspect by police early on, allegedly had some type or argument or battle with Blodgett, who had tried to evict him.

Authorities on the time had talked to Blodgett’s household, buddies and neighbors and visited the house the 2 males shared, which appeared to have been deserted with private belongings nonetheless in place. Police discovered no quick indicators of foul play and Blodgett’s car was nonetheless there, in keeping with the unique lacking particular person report.

Detectives would periodically drive by the home however by no means noticed anybody. They additionally introduced a canine skilled to smell for our bodies to the property however discovered nothing.

Police stated the case went chilly after investigators exhausted all leads till Peralta’s 911 name.

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