⚠️ Content Warning: Graphic and Disturbing Details ⚠️
This news story contains graphic descriptions of violence, including the murder of a child. Reader discretion is strongly advised. The content is intended for mature audiences only and may not be suitable for all readers. Please consider this warning carefully before continuing.
DEMING – A Luna County jury has convicted a Deming man of first-degree murder and other charges in the revenge-driven killing of a 14-year-old boy in 2022.
According to a report from KTSM-TV, 22-year-old Rafael A. Camacho was found guilty in the death of Ashton Remondini, who vanished in April 2022. In addition to murder, Camacho was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, larceny of a firearm and conspiracy to commit larceny of a firearm. Sentencing will take place at a later date, the Sixth Judicial District Attorney’s Office said.
Authorities said the case began on April 27, 2022, when Remondini’s uncle reported him missing. The uncle had contacted the teen’s girlfriend, who said she last spoke to him around 2:30 a.m. on April 26. She told investigators that Remondini mentioned going shooting with friends — and later claimed he had been shot and killed.
Detectives obtained a Snapchat video timestamped around 2:30 a.m. that showed Remondini firing an AR-15 rifle. The next day, officers searched near County Roads A015 and A008, where they found tire burnout marks and tracks leading to a dirt road. About 400 yards in, they discovered a body in clothing matching the Snapchat footage. The Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed it was Remondini.
Crime scene investigators collected multiple spent shell casings from both AR-15 and 9mm firearms. They also documented shoe imprints and drag marks about 200 feet across the road, suggesting Remondini’s body had been moved.
On April 29, 2022, Michael Moody confessed to detectives that he and Camacho had planned the killing in retaliation for a friend’s overdose death. Moody said Camacho lured Remondini under the guise of target practice. Moody admitted to shooting the boy before both he and Camacho repeatedly stabbed him.
A search of Camacho’s home turned up Remondini’s purple 9mm handgun, while suspected blood evidence was discovered inside Camacho’s vehicle.
During trial testimony, Camacho himself admitted to stabbing Remondini in the neck, telling the court: “This is the fastest way.”