Motive in stabbing remains unclear
Parent describes subduing man accused of attacking Taos High runner
A New Mexico State Police agent testified at a preliminary hearing last week that he could find no motive for 27-year-old Brandon Bryce Mcmillan’s alleged stabbing of a Taos High School cross country runner in the high school’s parking lot last month, and a parent who witnessed the event described how he was able to subdue the accused attacker by placing him into a headlock.
Mcmillan appeared for the hearing in 8th Judicial District Court last Thursday (Oct. 6) via video conference before Chief Judge Emilio Chavez. By the end of the hearing, Judge Chavez concluded that the state had established sufficient probable cause to prosecute the charges Mcmillan faces: assault with intent to commit murder, a third-degree felony; aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, also a third-degree felony; and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a fourth-degree felony.
Judge Chavez also agreed with the state that Mcmillan should remain in custody until trial, finding that the 27 year old could be a danger to the community if released.
According to David Cordova, the state police agent who testified at the hearing and had responded to the attack from his Las Vegas office, Mcmillan referred to the studentvictim by name on Sept. 19, when he entered school property and told a Taos High School faculty member he was there to pick up his son before allegedly stabbing the victim in the neck and abdomen.
“Brandon Mcmillan walked on to campus advice that he was looking for his child to pick up and then told one of the coaches that he was there to pick up [the victim],” Cordova testified.
“The victim looked up at the teacher and Mr. Mcmillan confused, because he recognized this guy was not his father,” Cordova continued. “McMillan made a couple comments. Not going to go verbatim, but basically he said ‘Yeah, I am your father.’ Once again, there was a little bit more confusion, and then he stabbed the victim multiple times.”
Cosme Ripol, a prosecutor for the district attorney’s office in Taos who appeared at the hearing and called the agent to testify, asked if state police had established a motive for the attack: “At this time, no,” Cordova responded.
Cordova said a parent, Billy Romero, was the one to detain Mcmillan after the stabbing.
Romero also testified at the hearing, telling the court that he was there to pick up his son and another student, and witnessed the stabbing occur. I witnessed this person here in front of me talking with the head cross country coach,” Romero said, pointing out Mcmillan. “He then proceeded to walk over and talk to the assistant coach. At that point he was standing in front of the young man that he stabbed.”
From where he was parked, Romero said the first stabbing looked like a “slap.” As he watched the victim run away, and Mcmillan follow, Romero said the cross country coach “got in his truck in an attempt to intervene.”
“The young man was running back toward the school. At that point, I was out of my vehicle and ran toward Mcmillan and the young man and got in between,” Romero continued. “He looked right through me. [The victim] ran around and [Mcmillan] continued to chase the young man. At this time they jumped in a blue SUV.”
Romero said he approached Mcmillan and was eventually able to put him into a headlock.
The state also called the owner of the SUV in which the victim tried to escape. Ripol asked the vehicle owner if she had given permission for Mcmillan to enter the vehicle, which she did not — hinting at a possible future charge related to entering private property.