Stetson Shane Barnes, Carjacking Resulting in Death, New Mexico 2019

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Justice, however delayed, arrived Tuesday in the case of J.S., the victim of a callous and deadly carjacking in Loving, New Mexico. Stetson Shane Barnes, 30, of Loving, and Donald Alfred Busch, 34, of Carlsbad, each received a 40-year federal prison sentence for their roles in the 2019 crime. The pair were convicted earlier this month following a nearly two-week trial, and the sentences were handed down by U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez.

The plot, hatched with accomplices Tyson Lee Terrell and Jehra Lynn Hedgecock, centered around the theft of a motorcycle from J.S.’s property. On the night of May 27, 2019, Hedgecock, 33 of Carlsbad, acted as bait, knocking on the victim’s door while Busch began to move the motorcycle. When J.S. confronted the group, Barnes and Busch, both armed, immediately threatened him. Busch held J.S. at gunpoint, ordering him back inside his home as the motorcycle was pushed away.

The situation escalated into a horrifying act of violence. As Hedgecock drove the getaway truck, Barnes unleashed a barrage of twelve shots from the vehicle into J.S.’s residence. The final bullet proved fatal, striking J.S. as he desperately sought cover in a back room. Jurors heard harrowing testimony from the victim’s father, who was on the phone with J.S. when the shooting began, a lifeline severed by the senseless gunfire.

Following the murder, the group attempted to flee, abandoning the truck – which was found burned in a ravine outside Carlsbad – and scattering evidence. J.S.’s stolen motorcycle was later recovered from Barnes’ property. Hedgecock has already pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy and carjacking resulting in death, and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2023. Terrell received a four-year sentence for his role in the conspiracy.

The case was spearheaded by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with crucial support from the New Mexico State Police and the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison prosecuted the case, bringing the perpetrators to justice after years of investigation and legal proceedings. The charges against Barnes included conspiracy to commit carjacking, carjacking resulting in death, and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Busch faced the same charges, with the added conviction of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

This case underscores the brutal reality of carjacking and the devastating consequences of firearms violence. While a lengthy prison sentence offers some measure of closure for the victim’s family, it cannot undo the tragedy. The Grimy Times will continue to follow the sentencing of Hedgecock and any further developments in this case, ensuring that the public remains informed about the dark underbelly of federal crime.

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