LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Today, a Las Cruces man was sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend in January 2015.
Corey Franklin, now 25, was recently convicted of first-degree murder after stabbing and beating his girlfriend, Graciela Hernandez, to death.
The incident happened outside a home in the 1400 block of Eclipse Road, north of Las Cruces. According to investigators, the defendant used multiple knives to stab Hernandez 11 times before beating her with a cooking pot and dragging her to the bedroom.
Afterwards, the defendant went to a convenience store, bought alcohol, returned home and then passed out. When he woke up, he told authorities he found his girlfriend unresponsive.
District Attorney Mark D’Antonio said, “The defendant’s decision to plead guilty to first-degree murder was only accomplished by the amount evidence gathered by investigators which we had ready to present at trial. Between that and the support of the victim’s family, I am very pleased with today’s outcome.”
Under New Mexico law, a life sentence means the defendant will serve a mandatory 30-year sentence before being eligible for parole.
In addition to today’s sentence, the case’s lead prosecutor, Gerald Byers, successfully argued for restitution. As a result, Chief District Judge Fernando Macias ordered the defendant to pay the victim’s family $1,043 for expenses associated with the homicide.
Information from Third Judicial District Attorney's Office