Albuquerque Woman Accused Of Stabbing Boyfriend More Than 20 Times

A woman in New Mexico is accused of brutally stabbing her boyfriend after a fight.

Michelle Carrie Morgan, 40, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder after police say she fatally stabbed Martin Miera early Sunday morning, according to a criminal complaint sent to Oxygen.com. Officers with the Albuquerque Police Department responded to the Desert Willow apartments in the northeast part of the city at around 4:00 a.m. after a bloodied Morgan showed up at a neighbor’s apartment, allegedly claiming she had stabbed her boyfriend.

Morgan reportedly told the neighbor that Miera was “hurt really bad,” according to the complaint. With 911 on the neighbor’s speakerphone, the neighbor went with Morgan back into the residence after dispatch instructed Morgan to try administering CPR.

Officers then responded to the scene and found Miera dead on the bathroom floor. He had sustained multiple stab wounds to the head, face, legs, and neck. According to the complaint — filed with the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court — Miera's throat was also slashed below the jawline, and both his Achilles tendons had been sliced open.

Police said Miera was stabbed 20 to 30 times, leaving some wounds that caused the victim’s facial features to be “severely compromised,” according to the complaint. Large amounts of blood were also observed in the master bedroom and the hallway.

A “large silver knife covered in blood” was found near the body.

Police say that Morgan initially told them that she'd stabbed Miera in self-defense. Officers, however, said physical evidence contradicted Morgan’s version of the event, claiming her statement was “riddled with inconstancies.”

In her police interview, Morgan allegedly claimed that she and Miera had gotten into an argument at the La Luz hiking trail shortly after the couple went to Sandia Casino. The casino is about three miles east of the couple's apartment, but the La Luz trailhead is about another 6 miles east from the casino.

Morgan said that, after the fight, she took Miera’s car and returned to their apartment, leaving Miera in the Sandia mountains.

Miera found his way home, and Morgan let him into the residence, Morgan told authorities.

Police then said Morgan initially claimed that Miera was the first to become violent.

“Michelle said Martin was upset and retrieved a knife from the kitchen,” wrote Det. Ian Melville. “There were numerous inconsistencies in Michelle’s version of what occurred during the struggle between her and Martin and how he ultimately sustained numerous observed injuries.”

Morgan then allegedly changed her story, alleging she grabbed the knife first, according to the complaint.

“At this point, she admitted to stabbing Martin four times in the upper chest region and ‘cut’ his face around four times,” detectives wrote. “Michelle said she was overcome with ‘rage and adrenaline’ and could not recall the amount of times she stabbed and slashed Martin.”

Morgan also admitted that despite Miera’s compromised health, she severed Miera’s Achilles tendons while near the master bedroom.

“She said she did this specifically to immobilize Martin and acknowledged Martin weighed under 140 pounds and was weakened by a recent abdominal surgery he underwent just three days prior to this incident."

Morgan’s next-door neighbor told police they heard “some bumping around” during the incident. The neighbor also said that Morgan told her months ago that Miera was physically and emotionally abusive.

The downstairs neighbor told authorities the commotion was enough to wake her 3-year-old child. She reported hearing a male scream, “you hit me too,” according to the complaint. The male continued screaming, “just f******g kill me, just do it,” multiple times.

The witness said she heard the female “screaming at the top of her lungs” before a long period of silence, followed by “a blood-curdling scream” from the woman.

Morgan was treated at the UNM Hospital for a cut above the knee before being released into police custody. Officers noted lacerations, bruising, and swelling on her right hand “consistent with her hand making contact with the knife upon impact.”

Morgan was booked into the Bernalillo County Jail, where she remains without bond.