Homeless men plead guilty in slaying
Two face prison terms after admitting their roles in the Sept. 6 death near DeVargas Park
Jason Auslander | The New Mexican
Posted: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - 10/29/09
Posted: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 - 10/29/09
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Print storyTwo homeless men pleaded guilty Wednesday to their roles in the September death of another homeless man in downtown Santa Fe.
Scott Claybaugh, 41, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the slaying of Chris Rose, who was found beaten and stabbed Sept. 6 in the Santa Fe River near DeVargas Park.
Because Claybaugh was previously convicted of two felonies — commercial burglary in Bernalillo County in 2002 and residential burglary in Torrance County in 2005 — he will face a 26-year prison term when he is sentenced next week.
Richard Eastman, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, aggravated battery and tampering with evidence. He faces up to nine years in prison when he is sentenced.
State District Judge Michael Vigil ordered Eastman to undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation. Eastman said he'd been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder.
Claybaugh, in previously filed court documents, said he was walking downtown with Rose and Eastman about 11 p.m. Sept. 5 when Rose, 45, began harassing people. The harassment almost got the men into a fight, which Claybaugh said made him angry.
When the men reached DeVargas Park, Claybaugh and Eastman began beating and kicking Rose, the documents said. Claybaugh hit Rose over the head with a guitar, and both men dragged him into the nearby riverbed.
The men placed him facedown in shallow water, and Claybaugh stabbed him multiple times and cut his throat, the documents said.
Claybaugh said Wednesday that he suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, for which he receives no treatment. However, he said he felt well Wednesday in court.
Relatives of Rose, some who attended Wednesday's hearing both in person and on the phone, requested that Claybaugh be sentenced Nov. 6 to give all family members a chance to come to town to speak in person at the sentencing.
"Mr. Rose is from a large family who loved him very much," prosecutor Krishna Singh said.
Both men waived their rights to a preliminary hearing or having a grand jury hear the evidence behind the charges against them — the usual method of charging criminal cases in Santa Fe.
Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or :jauslander@sfnewmexican.com.
Scott Claybaugh, 41, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the slaying of Chris Rose, who was found beaten and stabbed Sept. 6 in the Santa Fe River near DeVargas Park.
Because Claybaugh was previously convicted of two felonies — commercial burglary in Bernalillo County in 2002 and residential burglary in Torrance County in 2005 — he will face a 26-year prison term when he is sentenced next week.
Richard Eastman, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, aggravated battery and tampering with evidence. He faces up to nine years in prison when he is sentenced.
State District Judge Michael Vigil ordered Eastman to undergo a 60-day psychological evaluation. Eastman said he'd been diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder.
Claybaugh, in previously filed court documents, said he was walking downtown with Rose and Eastman about 11 p.m. Sept. 5 when Rose, 45, began harassing people. The harassment almost got the men into a fight, which Claybaugh said made him angry.
When the men reached DeVargas Park, Claybaugh and Eastman began beating and kicking Rose, the documents said. Claybaugh hit Rose over the head with a guitar, and both men dragged him into the nearby riverbed.
The men placed him facedown in shallow water, and Claybaugh stabbed him multiple times and cut his throat, the documents said.
Claybaugh said Wednesday that he suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, for which he receives no treatment. However, he said he felt well Wednesday in court.
Relatives of Rose, some who attended Wednesday's hearing both in person and on the phone, requested that Claybaugh be sentenced Nov. 6 to give all family members a chance to come to town to speak in person at the sentencing.
"Mr. Rose is from a large family who loved him very much," prosecutor Krishna Singh said.
Both men waived their rights to a preliminary hearing or having a grand jury hear the evidence behind the charges against them — the usual method of charging criminal cases in Santa Fe.
Contact Jason Auslander at 986-3076 or :jauslander@sfnewmexican.com.
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