Defense attorney responds to overturned murder conviction for Albuquerque man
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Maxwell Pines, the defense attorney for the man who was acquitted of second-degree murder after originally being convicted in 2018, Matthew Chavez, is reacting to the jury’s verdict in the trial.
In 2016, Tyler Lackey was at an ATM when Matthew Chavez tried to rob him. According to witness testimony, Lackey took out his gun, and Chavez shot and killed Lackey. Chavez then drove off and set the stolen car he was driving on fire.
In 2018, Chavez was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 23.5 years. But that all changed this week after Chavez appealed his conviction and had a retrial.
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Chavez’s attorney called the new verdict “just.” He said the biggest factor in proving self-defense this time around came from one of the state’s key witnesses: Tyler Lackey’s friend, who was there during the shooting.
Pines said the witness admitted he didn’t tell the whole story in the first trial and now testified that Lackey did fire a shot and also pointed the gun at Chavez’s head.
“The verdict my client had been hoping for and believing in for these last eight years,” said Pines.
“Our hearts can go out to Mr. Lackey’s family and I’m sure this change of verdict and this whole process of years and years, that has to complicate the grief that she feels for her child,” said Pines. “We do depend on our jury, it’s in the constitution and in this case, the jury’s word is going to be final.”
While the judge ruled Chavez’s time had been served for this crime, the New Mexico Department of Justice said Chavez won’t be immediately released. A spokesperson for NMDOJ said Chavez is being extradited to Texas, where he faces charges of armed robbery.
