Police in Santa Fe discovered a gruesome murder scene when they responded to a call at a residence in October 2022, finding a woman dead and a blood-covered sword nearby.
Officers were dispatched to a home on October 29, 2022, where Isaac Apodaca and his girlfriend, Kiara McCulley, lived in a detached garage on her mother’s property.
FILE – In this bodycam video from Oct. 29, 2022, Isaac Apodaca speaks with Santa Fe police officers. (Santa Fe Police Department)
When police arrived, they witnessed McCulley fleeing from the garage. Inside, they discovered the body of Grace Jennings alongside a long sword covered in blood.
Apodaca told police that McCulley was responsible for Jennings’ death.
“I walk in and she tells me, ‘I did it.’ I look at the ground and I see someone dead and I see an ear hanging,” Apodaca told officers during questioning.
During her interrogation, McCulley initially claimed she couldn’t remember what happened but admitted she was angry that Apodaca had invited Jennings to stay with them. She also revealed having previous dreams about harming Jennings.
“Sometimes I would kill her. Sometimes I would torture her. Sometimes it was just me screaming at her,” McCulley told investigators when asked about these dreams.
Both McCulley and Apodaca claimed they had previously been in relationships with Jennings before dating each other. The investigation uncovered text messages that allegedly show the couple conspiring to kill Jennings.
FILE – Kiara McCulley (Santa Fe Police Department)
When confronted about these messages, Apodaca said, “She was messaging me on planning on how to kill her.”
The officer responded, “Who?”
“Kiara, I was sending the message back only in correspondence cause I wanted to sleep,” Apodaca replied.
In February 2025, McCulley pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges in exchange for testifying at Apodaca’s trial. She faces 30 years in prison, reported KOB.
Apodaca initially signed a plea agreement but his attorney later ripped up the document during a hearing, stating his client no longer wished to accept the plea offer. He faces trial later this year for coercing McCulley in Jennings’ murder.
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