Dona Ana County triple homicide case transferred to another judicial district

One of the worst murder cases in southern New Mexico since the Bowling Alley Massacre may go to trial this year.

Police said Gino Ferri shot and killed three people in Mesilla in 2010.

The case will be heard by the same judge in the same district court, but the Dona Ana County District Attorney’s Office cannot prosecute the case.

“This is a serious crime. We’re going to take this seriously and do our best to give a quality prosecution for Dona Ana County,” said Otero County District Attorney Diana Martwick.

Martwick and her office are taking over the case.

This comes after new Dona Ana County DA Mark D’Antonio determined there were conflicts of interest within his office.

Chief Deputy Attorney Pete Pineda was a defense attorney for Ferri in a previous case. Another chief deputy attorney has a personal relationship with Ferri’s family.

“We believe it’s our obligation as the jurisdiction next door to protect the public as well in that area as it is in our area because this is a crime that occurred in southern New Mexico,” Martwick told ABC-7.

Ferri is accused of shooting and killing three people who were suing him for more than $1 million.

Police found the bullet-riddled bodies of Gilles and Helga Delisle and their business partner, Peter Weith, inside the Delisles’ home on Mesilla Hills Drive.

The bodies were found after the three failed to show up in court.

D’Antonio said the case has been sitting idle for too long and it needs to go to trial.

Krystal Shaw, a spokeswoman for D’Antonio, said transferring the case is the best option for the victims’ families.

“Scot Key, the original prosecutor on this case, is in that judicial district now, so he’s able to pick up this case right where he left it and see it through. He’ll be able to do an amazing job with that and bring justice to the victim’s family,” Shaw said.

Prosecutors have said in the past this is a complicated case that could take two weeks of trial or more.

The trial is scheduled to start in May.