Status hearing held in Braziel shooting case

Joshua Braziel should know by March whether his murder case goes to trial or he accepts a plea agreement.

Braziel, 30, of Tucumcari, appeared in district court via videoconference from the Quay County Detention Center last week for a status hearing on his case. He is charged with first-degree murder and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) after being accused of shooting his friend and co-worker Bryan Youman, 19, of Tucumcari in the head at his home Sept. 4. Braziel has said the shooting was an accident.

First-degree murder is a capital felony that could lead to up to life in prison. Braziel is charged under an open murder count, which includes killing by an act deemed as “greatly dangerous to another's life and evidences a depraved mind which has no regard for human life.”

Assistant prosecutor Heidi Adams said her office still was awaiting laboratory reports on the case. She said the 10th Judicial District Attorney Office “was working to get ready for trial.”

District Judge Albert Mitchell asked Adams to call the labs and persuade them to release their reports soon. He said he wanted a firm trial date by March.

Public defender Anna Aragon said her office was completing interviews on the case and might be ready for a plea deal by March.

According to online court documents, the next hearing for Braziel is scheduled for March 9.

Braziel made no comments during the hearing.

According to an affidavit filed by New Mexico State Police investigator Justin Tiemann, officers interviewed George Molinas, who was at the Tucumcari home when the shooting occurred. Molinas said Braziel “likes to mess around with his firearms and is very careless when it comes to handling of his guns,” the affidavit stated.

Braziel initially told officers he didn’t think his handgun was loaded, but later said he was aware it was loaded when he pointed it at Youman.

The methamphetamine charge stemmed from admissions by Braziel and his girlfriend they smoked the substance before the shooting.