ABQ Times

APD detectives have charged two women in connection with the fatal shooting of Adam Morres, which occurred on August 22, 2024. The victim was killed just hours after being released from jail.

Katherine Silas, 23, and Samanta Villalba, 27, were apprehended by federal law enforcement authorities in Los Angeles. Both face charges of an open count of murder and tampering with evidence.

The police responded to the incident at approximately 6:30 a.m. on August 22 at 516 Hermosa Dr., S.E., where Morres was found in the driver's seat of a silver Toyota vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head. Despite being transported to a hospital, he succumbed to his injuries two days later. Homicide detectives took over the investigation on August 24.

Investigations revealed that Morres had connections with Silas and Villalba through drug trafficking activities. The pair had been indicted for drug trafficking in Arizona earlier in January 2024.

According to a criminal complaint filed by detectives, it is believed that Morres contacted Villalba on August 20 while he was under arrest and requested her assistance in retrieving his belongings before his transfer to jail. These belongings included Morres's phone, which was allegedly tracked to be in Villalba's possession until the time of the murder.

Detectives concluded that both Villalba and Silas were upset with Morres for what they perceived as betrayal at the time of his death.