On 20/7/2021, 53-year-old Paul Apodaca walked into the University of New Mexico Police Department and confessed to the 1989 murder of Althea Oakeley. After speaking with investigators, he confessed to two other murders in 1988. All three cases had been cold for over 30 years.

According to police, Paul had no prior connection to the victims but knew key details about each crime scene.

Paul told investigators that in 2020, while serving time for aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, he “spent the last year in prison just crying and crying about everything I’ve done” after reading Lois Duncan's 1992 book, "Who Killed My Daughter?". Duncan is also the author of the 1973 novel "I Know What You Did Last Summer."

The book prompted Paul to confess to the murders, which until then had never been linked.

“It wasn’t so much that I wanted closure for myself, but I wanted closure for the people that I had harmed,” Paul told police.

Three mysterious murders

21-year-old University of New Mexico student Althea Oakeley was last seen on the evening of 22/6/1988, according to the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). After an argument with her boyfriend at a fraternity party on campus, Althea walked home.

Shortly after, she was stabbed to death outside her home. Neighbors heard screams and tried to save her, but she died at the scene. No suspect was identified at the time.

A few months after Althea’s death, 13-year-old Stella Gonzales was shot and killed by a stranger while walking with a friend around 1:15 a.m. on 9/9/1988. Police said it appeared to be a random attack.

Around 10:30 p.m. on 16/7/1989, 18-year-old Kaitlyn Arquette was shot twice in the head while sitting in her car. Witnesses said Kaitlyn's car swerved across three lanes of traffic before hitting a light pole.

Lois Duncan wrote "Who Killed My Daughter?" about the murder of her daughter, Kaitlyn Arquette. Photo: The Lineup

Lois Duncan wrote "Who Killed My Daughter?" about the murder of her daughter, Kaitlyn Arquette. Photo: The Lineup

Kaitlyn was the daughter of renowned author Lois Duncan. After years of seeking information from the public through billboards, flyers, and television appearances without success, Lois wrote the non-fiction book "Who Killed My Daughter?" and a sequel, "One to the Wolves: On the Trail of a Killer," published in 2013, seeking answers to her daughter's death.

“My mother always said she wouldn’t leave until this case was solved. My mom used to be a novelist sitting under a tree dreaming up stories. But when Kaitlyn was murdered, she had to morph, and it was really hard for her,” Kerry Arquette, Kaitlyn’s sister, told The Albuquerque Journal in 2019.

Lois Duncan passed away in 2016 without knowing who was responsible for Kaitlyn’s death.

The killer's confession

When Paul confessed, police reviewed each case file to ensure his statements were accurate. They believed they had the confession of a serial killer.

Paul detailed each incident, drawing diagrams, writing street names, and walking investigators through the steps he took to commit the crimes.

Regarding his first victim, Althea Oakeley, Paul said his initial intention was to hold her at knifepoint and sexually assault her. At the time, he was a security guard at a vocational school about a kilometer from her home.

On the evening of 22/6/1988, while on duty, Paul saw Althea walk by. “She said ‘Hi’ and smiled at me. That’s the worst part. How can you hurt somebody that smiles at you?” Paul said tearfully.

He confessed to attacking Althea from behind, stabbing her multiple times with a Swiss Army knife. "I didn't think my little knife would do that much damage," he told investigators.

Paul said he dropped his watch at the scene before fleeing. When asked why he took his watch off, he replied, "I figured there was going to be a struggle." However, there was no struggle; Althea had no time to react.

Paul said he read that Althea's boyfriend had refused to take her to a movie that night, so she walked home from the party. "I was like, maybe all I have to do is offer to take her to the movies," Paul recalled.

Unexpected motive

Paul explained that his motive was jealousy of other men and hatred of women. "Growing up, I saw men treat women poorly, and women choose bad guys. I tried to be nice and kind, but they didn't want that, so I got jealous and... hateful," Paul stated.

“Sometimes when my rage would build up, I would just go out and drive around with my rifle like a hunter… Not a hunter, a predator,” Paul told investigators.

In 9/1988, he targeted two young women crossing a bridge late at night. The victim he shot and killed was Stella Gonzales.

Paul confessed to shooting another woman in the face while they were both driving. A few weeks later, he shot a transgender man, mistaking him for a woman. Both victims survived.

In the summer of 1989, Paul drove around the city again, looking for an easy target. On the evening of 16/7, he was driving his orange Volkswagen and stopped at a red light next to Kaitlyn Arquette. “I just raised the rifle up and shot her,” Paul recalled. He saw her car swerve across the median and crash into a light pole, so he got out to check on her.

When police arrived, Paul lied and said he had seen the car and went to investigate. Police took down his information, name, phone number, and license plate number, then let him go. A few weeks later, a female detective visited his home to ask about the murder. Paul was not considered a suspect.

Delayed remorse

In 1995, Paul was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape of a 14-year-old girl, but only served 11 years. While in prison, a private investigator hired by Lois Duncan visited Paul and asked him about Kaitlyn's case.

After reading Lois’s book, "Who Killed My Daughter?", which he borrowed from the prison library, Paul said, “I thought here was a woman trying desperately to figure out why somebody would do that to her daughter. I spent the last year in prison just crying and crying about everything I’ve done.” He told police he was tired and wanted to confess.

According to Paul, he had only told one person about his secret crimes: his mother, during a prison visit years earlier. Paul’s mother passed away before his confession.

Paul Apodaca at his sentencing in 1/2024. Photo: KRQE

Paul Apodaca at his sentencing in 1/2024. Photo: KRQE

On 25/1/2024, Paul pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted rape, and one count of kidnapping. The judge sentenced him to 45 years in prison.

APD Chief Harold Medina applauded Paul's conviction: “These heinous crimes haunted three families for over 30 years, leaving behind pain and torment. I hope the families can now move forward and find some closure to their nightmare.”

Tue Anh (via Oxygen, KRQE)