Man accused of murder, multi-state crime spree to remain behind bars

Diana Castillo | KOB

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police believe Kevin McKinney went on a multi-state crime spree after killing a man in Albuquerque in 2022.

According to APD, McKinney shot and killed Corey Langford outside of an Albuquerque apartment complex after an argument during an attempted gun purchase. Two days later, McKinney was shot by police who were trying to arrest him in Mesa, Arizona.

McKinney then drove straight through a local pizza place.

During Monday’s pretrial detention hearing, prosecutors argued those actions – along with an active felony warrant in Colorado – should be the reason he stays in jail.

“It doesn’t appear that he can or will comply with conditions of release now that he has an active warrant out of Colorado,” said Jolanna Macias, prosecutor. “If he’s not going to comply with Colorado’s conditions of release, he’s not going to comply with New Mexico.”

Police believe Kevin McKinney went on a multi-state crime spree after killing a man in Albuquerque in 2022.

Prosecutors also presented statements from the people who were in the car with the victim during the shooting, and from McKinney’s ex-wife.

“She indicated to detectives that Kevin told her that he was communicating with a person named Corey Langford about a gun trade,” Macias said. “Corey backed out of the deal. the two of them began to argue, the ex-wife indicated that Kevin was going to leave it alone, but changed his mind and waited for Corey at the Villas apartments.”

The ex-wife reportedly described the gun McKinney used and was able to tell detectives when and how he got the gun.

However, the defense argued those statements are not reliable.

“To base a matter as serious as pretrial detention on the statements of those people is questionable without hearing from those people, without even knowing if they are still around or if the state has any contact with them, without hearing more about their potential criminal backgrounds,” said Graham Dumas, defense attorney. “I think all of that is very problematic.”

In the end, Judge Bruce Fox sided with the state to keep McKinney in jail until his trial, which can take over a year to happen.