HUERFANO COUNTY – One of the suspects involved in the murder of Amy Garcia, a single mother of four children from Walsenburg, was sentenced Wednesday.
A judge sentenced Heith Gleason to 42 years in prison Wednesday for second-degree murder in the case. As part of the plea agreement, Gleason pleaded guilty to the murder charge. All other charges were dropped.
The probable cause affidavit in the case disclosed disturbing details about Garcia’s murder, which happened in rural Huerfano County on Dec. 20, 2018.
An interview with a witness determined Gleason picked up a gun and stated, “I’ll kill her” and went back outside. A gunshot was reportedly heard before Heith Gleason walked back inside the home. Gleason then told the witness that he didn’t kill Garcia. That’s when the witness reported that Gleason’s 12-year-old son went outside with a .22 caliber gun and more shots were heard. The witness reported that Gleason said his son had “just earned his man card.”
Garcia’s body was found inside a burned out car just off of Silver Mountain Road near County Road 530, west of Walsenburg. Investigators had determined that she was shot before the fire.
Gleason and his son were arrested outside of a McDonald’s in Santa Fe, N.M. the same day Garcia was killed. Gleason’s son is set to appear in court on July 26.
A friend described Garcia as “super amazing” and supportive of her children.
Captain Milan Rapo with Huerfano County Sheriff’s Office told us back in January that Garcia’s murder shocked the community.
“I don’t think anyone in this community has had to deal with anything like that. In a small community like this, especially with someone like Amy, a lot of people knew who she was,” Rapo said.
