New Mexico Supreme Court upholds triple murder conviction of Gino Ferri

The New Mexico Supreme Court has upheld the first degree murder convictions of Eugene “Gino” Ferri.

Ferri was convicted in 2013 of three counts of first degree murder, along with other felonies, in a triple homicide in Las Cruces. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.

Ferri appealed his convictions to the New Mexico Supreme Court for the following reasons:

Whether the district court erred in admitting evidence of Defendant’s demeanor toward the victims
Whether the district court erred in admitting evidence that Defendant lied during a bankruptcy proceeding where the victims were creditors
Whether the district court erred in admitting evidence of Defendant’s property at issue in a civil lawsuit in which the victims were involved
Whether the district court erred in admitting a prison telephone call between Defendant and his mother
Whether the district court erred in admitting State’s Exhibit 233, a stipulation containing the phrase “guilty plea proceeding”
Whether the district court erred in denying Defendant’s challenge for cause as to Juror 46
Whether sufficient evidence existed to support Defendant’s convictions
Whether, taken together as a whole, the district court’s errors amounted to cumulative error.

“The perpetrator of an extraordinarily violent triple homicide in Las Cruces is behind bars for the rest of his life thanks to the work of my office’s Criminal Appeals Division,” Attorney General Hector Balderas said. “My office is focused on putting away the most violent offenders, but we are just as focused on keeping offenders like Eugene Ferri behind bars. I am pleased that the New Mexico Supreme Court upheld Mr. Ferri’s first degree murder convictions.”

Here is a link to yesterday’s New Mexico Supreme Court decision: http://www.nmcompcomm.us/nmcases/NMSCUnreported/2015/SC34229.pdf .