Couple arrested in connection with Mesilla homicide investigation, not facing murder charges

Authorities arrested a man and awoman in connection with the murder of an Alamogordo man whose body was found in Mesilla.

Last week, Doña Ana County Sheriff’s detectives identified Bryanna Terry, 19, as a person of interest in the murder investigation of 18-year-old Dakota Lunceford.

Terry is believed to have been in contact with Lunceford prior to August 3, 2017, the day detectives discovered Lunceford’s body off Glass Road in Mesilla.

Detectives initially made contact with Terry, but she allegedly became uncooperative in the investigation. Jail records show Terry was arrested and charged with Tampering with Evidence.

Authorities also arrested 22-year-old Justin Bullock and charged him with Tampering with Evidence and Resisting or Obstructing Arrest.

A spokeswoman with the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office told ABC-7’s New Mexico Mobile Newsroom the arrests of Terry and Bullock are connected to the murder investigation.

Lunceford was last seen alive in Alamogordo on Friday, July 28. During his last phone conversation with his mother, he said he had traveled to Las Cruces that day.

A court document obtained by ABC-7 states investigators executed a search warrant at Terry’s home on the 5000 block of Kensington Way. Investigators told Terry they were looking for her phone and the phone belonging to Lunceford. A court document states Terry told investigators her phone broke and she was using Bullock’s phone. The document identifies Bullock as Terry’s boyfriend.

Terry’s father reportedly told investigators Bullock was hiding in the attic and investigators allegedly found Bullock hiding in the insulation, a court document states.

Bullock allegedly resisted when officers approached. The document states investigators found him in possession of a phone with a pink cover, a missing back side and a missing battery. Bullock allegedly told investigators the phone belonged to Terry.

Investigators said the phone number assigned to the phone they recovered from Bullock was confirmed to be Terry’s phone number.

Once in possession of the phone, investigators pulled up social media posts in which Terry allegedly acknowledged she was a person of interest in connection to the homicide.