Deputies found Carpenter dead in a shed on her property Nov. 9. John Ciani is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 24
SAN JUAN COUNTY, N.M. —
A San Juan County man has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Lovina Carpenter, according to court documents.
John Ciani also faces a charge of tampering with evidence. A criminal complaint alleges he hid the pistol used in the shooting.
San Juan County sheriff’s deputies found Carpenter dead in a shed on her property Nov. 9 while conducting a welfare check. An autopsy the following day found that she had been shot, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.
Ciani’s wife told detectives that he admitted to shooting Carpenter and disposing of the gun while walking home. Ciani told investigators that he had not gone to Carpenter’s home.
A judge found probable cause in the case Nov. 12. Ciani’s preliminary examination is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 24 at the San Juan County Magistrate Court in Aztec.
