Judge sentences man for shooting now ex-wife inside Albuquerque Walmart
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A judge sentenced a man to 15 years in federal prison for shooting his now ex-wife in the break room of a Walmart in Albuquerque.
Back in late-March, a federal jury convicted 65-year-old Maurice Lacey after less than 40 minutes of deliberation. The verdict came nearly two years after the shooting happened in the employee break room at the Walmart Neighborhood Market near I-40 and San Mateo.
According to court documents and evidence presented in the trial, Lacey entered the break room on Oct. 21, 2022, and shot his wife in the back of the head. He then walked to the customer service desk, tossed a gun on the counter, and admitted to shooting his wife.
State prosecutors originally charged Lacey with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. However, state prosecutors dropped the charge.
Prosecutors said, even with the possible enhancements to the charge, Lacey would only face 4 to 10 years in state prison with a conviction. They added Lacey would face a longer sentence in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm if a jury convicted him of that charge.
Lacey faced up to 15 years in federal prison and three subsequent years of supervised release. That is exactly what a judge sentenced him to.
According to court documents, Lacey’s wife filed for divorce around the time when Lacey was convicted. She cited “a state of incompatibility and irreconcilable differences.”
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