Woman charged in sword killing set to head to trial in August
McCulley, 20, charged with first-degree murder in fatal stabbing of 21-year-old in garage, faces life without parole
State District Judge T. Glenn Ellington is planning to hold a murder trial in August for 20-year-old Kiara McCulley, who is accused of fatally stabbing Grace Jennings in October with a 3-foot sword.
During a hearing Monday, state prosecutor Nancy Cortesi said McCulley faces a “a basic life sentence without parole,” plus 15 years and a $10,000 fine if she is convicted of both counts against her.
McCulley and her boyfriend, Isaac Apodaca, who is accused of persuading McCulley to kill 21-yearold Jennings, both are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
McCulley has pleaded not guilty to both charges and is being held in jail until her trial. Ellington said he put her case on his August trial calendar but had not set a date as of Monday evening.
Court documents say Jennings spent the night of Oct. 28 with McCulley and Apodaca in the detached garage of McCully’s mother’s home, where the couple lived. McCully is accused of killing Jennings the following morning, while Apodaca is accused of conspiring with her and convincing her to carry out the killing.
Investigators found a series of text messages between the pair shortly after the incident, according to police and court records. Police videos show a detective and Apodaca reviewing numerous text messages in which Apodaca seemed to encourage McCulley to kill Jennings.
Police found both Jennings’ body and what appeared to be a bloody sword inside the detached garage on Jaguar Drive the afternoon of Oct. 29, according to a criminal complaint.
McCulley initially was found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, N.M., to receive treatment. However, she was found competent in a Dec. 21 evaluation from the state institute and was rebooked into the Santa Fe County jail Jan. 10.
Apodaca was found competent to stand trial in January following a psychiatric evaluation, according to online court records. His next court hearing is scheduled July 11 as a virtual proceeding. Jury selection in his case is scheduled Aug. 8.