Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@currentargus.com

Nathan Garrison signed a plea deal Monday, Feb. 17, just hours before he was set to go to trial for the 2021 shooting death of Tyler Grantham.

Garrison, 45, was charged with second-degree murder but agreed to plead guilty to charges of voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence, convictions that drew him sentences totaling nine years in prison. If convicted of second-degree murder, Garrison could have been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Under the plea agreement, District Judge Jane Shuler Gray sentenced Garrison to nine years for voluntary manslaughter and three years for tampering with evidence. He was granted three years credit for time incarcerated ahead of trial, reducing his total prison time to nine years.

The investigation into Garrison’s crimes began Nov. 17, 2021, when Grantham, 36, was found shot in the face by a shotgun blast at his home in the 100 block of East Cottonwood Street in Eddy County, just outside Artesia.

Witnesses at the scene said Garrison fired a single round from a shotgun into the back of the mobile home, striking Grantham, according to police, who said the shooting occurred after several people inside the home, including Garrison, argued over missing money.

Police said Garrison left the house during the conflict, drove into Artesia where he was staying on Quay Avenue, retrieved the shotgun and returned to fire the shot that killed Grantham.

Before he was sentenced, Garrison addressed Shuler Gray and Grantham’s family. He said he believed people inside the home, including Grantham, were being held at gunpoint by another man, Randy Fernandez. Garrison’s defense attorney, Gary Mitchell, said his client fired to scare Fernandez and “to free” the others.

Although Fernandez has been charged in the past with crimes ranging from forgery to drug possession, records show he was never charged in the events leading up to Grantham’s death.

“I know I messed up bad,” Garrison said at the sentencing hearing. “This was a horrible accident. There’s nothing I can say. I got to live with this the rest of my life. I can’t say sorry enough.”

Before Garrison was sentenced, some of Grantham’s family members testified to the “suffering” and “heartache” his death caused them, and asked Shuler Gray to impose the maximum sentence.

Some expressed frustration at the plea deal that resulted in a lighter sentence than he might have received if convicted of second-degree murder.

“It is difficult to see all the time and resources spent to convict Garrison of such a cowardly act,” said Grantham’s father Larry Grantham. “Life is about choices. Garrison’s continue to inflict severe pain on others. The decision by the court will never be enough to bring back my son, a father and friend to many.”

Prosecutor Ariane Gonzales argued for maximum prison time, contending Garrison had several opportunities to call police if he believed his friends were in danger.

She said the shooting was a purposeful act as Garrison drove eight miles to where he was staying on Quay Avenue in Artesia, switched cars and picked up the shotgun and ammunition.

Gonzales also described how Garrison drove up to the house on Cottonwood Street, called out demanding someone open the door, and fired the shotgun when an unidentified person inside yelled profanities.

“This was a very careless act by the defendant. It happened quickly, but there were steps he could have taken,” Gonzales said. “Mr. Grantham lost his life because of this over nothing. Over something that could have been solved by law enforcement. Acts like this need punishment.”

Defense Attorney Gary Mitchell said his client and others involved in the incident suffered from methamphetamine addiction. Mitchell pointed to toxicology reports that showed the drug was present in Grantham’s system when he died.

Mitchell said the argument that led to the shooting was not over missing money but drugs stolen from the car of Kianna Wallace, Randy Fernandez’s girlfriend. The attorney said Fernandez held people at the East Cottonwood address at gunpoint and Garrison’s “intent was to get them out of the house before something bad happened to them.” He also said Fernandez threatened to kill Garrison if he called the police.

After the shooting, Mitchell said Garrison cooperated with police when he found out Grantham was killed, confessing to the shooting and showing investigators the route he took to and from the house on Cottonwood.

“He did everything he could do after the fact,” Mitchell said. “He immediately confessed that he was the one who shot.”

In handing down Garrison’s sentence, Shuler Gray said every person involved in the incident had previous charges and interactions with police. She blamed drug addiction for the circumstances leading to Grantham’s death.

“I’m saddened about what meth has done,” she said. “It destroys you from the inside. Sometimes, it destroys your soul.”