Media Release: Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Clovis, New Mexico
Clovis, NM – On October 1, 2025, 30 year-old, Martin Caballero-Diaz pled guilty to 2nd Degree Murder in the killing of his mother and was sentenced to 21 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections.
The sentence includes enhancements for being a habitual offender and for the discharge of a firearm during the commission of the crime. Per New Mexico state law, Caballero-Diaz will be required to serve at least 18 years before becoming eligible for parole.
The homicide occurred on the evening of August 24, 2022, when officers with the Clovis Police Department responded to a welfare check at 1216 ½ N. Lea Street following a request for a situation check.
Upon arrival, officers discovered the body of 57 year-old Joann Caballero, the defendant’s mother, beneath a pile of clothing in the rear residence. She was pronounced deceased at the scene. An autopsy later confirmed she had suffered two fatal gunshot wounds.
Caballero-Diaz was found and detained without incident in a bathroom at the adjoining front residence, 1216 N. Lea Street. The Major Crimes Unit —a joint task force comprised of the Curry and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Offices, Clovis and Portales Police Departments, and investigators from the Ninth District Attorney’s Office —was activated to lead the homicide investigation. At the scene, investigators recovered evidence, including spent shell casings, a pistol, and the victim’s purse. Ballistics testing by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety confirmed the pistol was the murder weapon. DNA analysis further linked the firearm directly to the Caballero-Diaz.
At sentencing, members of the victim’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements.
Destiney Caballero, the victim’s daughter, shared:
“There are no words that can fully capture the pain of losing my mom, but it is even harder to accept when her life was taken by the very person she loved, raised, and trusted.”
Lisa Baca, the victim’s sister said:
“Joann was a kind-hearted and compassionate person who always put others before herself. Her sudden and violent death has left a void in our lives that can never be filled.”
The case was heard by District Court Judge Benjamin Cross. The State was represented by Special Prosecutor, Brett Carter and Senior Trial Attorney, Anthony Jaimes. The Defendant was represented by Marie Legrand Miller of the Office of the Public Defender.
For more information, please contact the District Attorney’s Office at (575) 769-2246.
