By Vic Vela
Albuquerque Journal
SANTA FE — Two convicted murderers in high-profile cases ended up with a master key at the state penitentiary last July after one of them took keys from a correctional officer.
Last week, the two inmates - Frank Martinez and Robert Trujillo Young - were indicted by a Santa Fe grand jury on new charges of attempted murder related to the incident. Martinez, 35, got the keys from the officer, freed Young, 32, from his cell and they both then allegedly attacked another prisoner.
In January, Young was sentenced to a life term plus 24 years - the equivalent of 54 years total under New Mexico law - for killing a guard during a 1999 riot at the Guadalupe County Correctional Facility near Santa Rosa.
Martinez got a life sentence plus 37 years in 2003 for the rape and murder of 12-yearold Crystal La Pierre 10 years earlier near Grants. He had previously spent time on death row but his death sentence was thrown out by state Supreme Court.
In the July incident, Martinez was able to take the keys away from a female correctional officer who did not use correct procedure as she was about to transport the inmate from one area of the prison to another, according to a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections.
“She was a new officer who was escorting Francisco Martinez and it was clearly evident that she did not properly restrain him,” said the DOC’s Tia Bland. “She did not use the proper technique she was taught.”
Martinez and Young were indicted Thursday for their alleged attempt to kill fellow inmate Andrew Esquibel in what the State Police believes was a gang-inspired attack.
Martinez is serving his time in the penitentiary’s level six area, the most secure part of the prison, which holds some of the state’s most dangerous offenders.
“If you’re really a terrible actor, you’re gonna be there,” Bland said of the high-security facility at the Penitentiary of New Mexico south of Santa Fe.
Young was behind bars on attempted murder charges before he was charged with the Santa Rosa prison killing.
Martinez was exercising alone in a caged recreational area inside the prison on July 23 where he allegedly threatened the officer who was about to shackle him and take him back to his cell.
“Before she put the shackles on, he was able to spin around and confront her,” said Lt. Eric Garcia of State Police, the investigating agency for crimes that take place inside New Mexico prisons. “He pulled her toward him and said, ‘Give me your (expletive) keys.’ ”
The officer gave Martinez her keys - which contained a master key for entrance into different areas inside the facility. He then used the keys to open Young’s cell and let him out. The two then went to Esquibel’s cell where they used “homemade shanks” to attack Esquibel, Garcia said.
Prison officers were able to detain Martinez and Young before Esquibel was severely injured, Garcia said. Esquibel was taken to Christus-St. Vincent Regional Medical Center after the attack and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Garcia said the motivation behind the attack was gangrelated. Esquibel, 28, is serving a prison sentence for voluntary manslaughter, armed robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault, according to DOC’s Web site.
Bland said the incident prompted changes in how inmates are transported within the facility.
“Clearly you look at the situation and retrain to try to fix the problem,” she said.
Bland declined to comment specifics of what changes were made, citing security reasons. But she did say that officers no longer carry a master key.
Bland said that although the officer was transporting Martinez without any assistance, she was not alone because other officers are stationed nearby.
“They’re aware and watchful,” she said. “We had people where they were supposed to be.”
Although Bland admits the officer could have used better techniques when attempting to move Martinez, she said inmates often try to outsmart officers even when they’re doing things the right way.
“These are experienced offenders,” she said. “They have lots of time to figure out how to circumvent the rules.”
In addition to attempted murder, Martinez and Young now face additional new charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a deadly weapon by a prisoner. Both they and Esquibel continue to be held at the penitentiary.
Copyright 2009 Albuquerque Journal