Judge awards $87 million to relatives in 2004 slayings on Sam Donaldson’s New Mexico ranch
By APThursday, June 24, 2010
Relatives in NM ranch slayings win $87M judgment
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — A judge has awarded $87 million to the relatives of three people who were killed in 2004 by a 14-year-old boy on former newsman Sam Donaldson’s southern New Mexico ranch.
State District Judge Valerie Mackie Huling, of Albuquerque, entered a default judgment against Cody Posey this month when he did not answer questions in the discovery phase of the wrongful death lawsuit.
Posey represented himself. In 2006, he was convicted in the killings and sentenced to remain in state custody until age 21. He turns 21 this October.
The attorney for the relatives says the award is largely symbolic and he does not expect his clients to ever collect, but it will let them garnish Posey’s income if he tries to profit from the murders.
