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New Silverado is versatile

Michael Smith
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New Silverado is versatile

By Len Ingrassia
Automotive columnist

Second place finishers try hard to overcome obstacles in their way and so it is with the 2025 Chevrolet Silverado – a rugged pickup that can be outfitted with a plethora of configurations and engine choices to suit most budgets.

Silverado has been around for a quarter-century and sold 549,945 copies last year compared with Ram at 439,039 and Tundra at 159,528. Ford F150’s toppled them all with 765,649 sales. Easy to see why U.S. full size pickup truck sales are unequalled around the globe.

Trim levels are numerous starting with the base Work Truck, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, High Country and ZR2. Entry prices range from $37-$70

thousand with available options reaching six figures for the ZR2.

A variety of engines are available to suit your pocketbook and penchant for power. Entry level trucks come with a turbocharged four-cylinder (310hp). From there you can choose from a pair of V-8’s, a Duramax diesel 3.0-liter inline six (277 hp), 6.2-liter V8 with 420 ponies or you can chuck all of the above in favor of a gas-less EV.

Three bed lengths are available – 5’8” short bed, standard 6’6” and long bed at 8 feet. Each has rear bumper bed steps and a six-mode tailgate that collapses for easy access.

Our Crew LT Trail Boss tester was equipped with the big V8. It features a 2-inch lift kit, monotube shocks, large skid plates and Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain paws with 20-inch, high gloss black painted aluminum wheels.

A trailering package with hitch guidance will handle construction projects as well as tow trailers, boats and other toys. Towing capacity is 13,300 pounds, more than Ram 1500 but trailing F150s. Payload is 1,870 to 2,200 pounds.

With all this versatility, our tester was outfitted for performance, heavy off-road duty and gussied up with luxurious appointments throughout its cabin.

On open pavement, shifting the 10-speed automatic transmission was smooth with lots of torque when needed for downshifts. We found steering precise with little body roll. Brakes were strong. In highway travel, the Silverado absorbs most road imperfections.

Inside the fourth generation Crew Cab is a nice place to enjoy lengthy trips without tiring. Fill-ups will be more frequent with EPA combined 15 miles per gallon. With our sometimes-aggressive testing maneuvers, we recorded 12.4 mpg. Cabin noise is kept to a minimum unless you stomp on the gas pedal.

Whether heating or cooling, the Silverado system does so quickly. Numerous toggle switches line the center console controlling cabin environment, entertainment and navigation. A 13.4-inch center touchscreen makes adjustments simple while a driver mounted 12.3-inch digital screen monitors engine vitals.

Driver assist features are standard on upper trims and include emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning which was useful with its behemoth size, HD surround vision, rear cross traffic braking, blind spot monitors, available adaptive cruise control and perimeter lighting. Gross vehicle weight is 3½ ton.

The new Silverado is mostly a carryover from last year’s model. Cypress Gray and Riptide Blue Metallic are new colors.

(Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net)

What was reviewed:

2025 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew LT Trail Boss 4WD

Engine: 6.2-liter V8 420 horsepower – 460 lb.-ft. of torque

MSRP/as tested: $58,800 / $72,395

EPA mileage: 15 city, 20 highway, 15 combined.

Assembled: The 2025 Silverado is assembled at GMC facilities in Silao, GJ Mexico. U.S. /Canadian parts content -37 percent. Major source of foreign parts, Mexico – 37 percent. Country of origin – engine and transmission – U.S.

Crash test ratings: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the Silverado an overall safety rating of five stars out of a possible five; five stars in side crash protection and in driver seat with four stars for front passenger and rollover protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), in updated testing, gave the Silverado its third best rating of “Marginal” in small overlap front and “Poor” in moderate overlap front and “Acceptable” in side crash worthiness

Warranty: 3-year/36,000-mile bumper to bumper; 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain. First maintenance visit.

Fraud by any other name

Michael Smith
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By Cal Thomas

The credit card statement contained an unfamiliar charge. I called the fraud department which canceled the payment and immediately sent me a new card. If only the federal government responded with similar alacrity.

Instead, the reaction from the exposure and rooting out of fraud – mostly from Democrats – has been shouting profanities and demonstrating outside federal government buildings. Some who have ignored the Constitution for years while using federal judges to impose things voters would not tolerate are suddenly appealing to “constitutional order,” demanding Congress not do any cutting or elimination of fraud and waste. They rarely address the misspending, or who is responsible for it. That would include too many Republicans, as well as Democrats.

Protesters now mock Elon Musk for using technologically gifted young people when they promoted and quoted the climate alarmist teenager Greta Thunberg and her speeches proclaiming doom for the planet if her demands were not immediately addressed. Some appear a lot smarter than the Members of Congress who are denouncing them for their youth.

President Trump has directed every government agency to search for misspent money. The latest, but certainly not the last, comes from the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, who discovered $160 million the Biden administration sent to Canada for electric buses that were never built. Adding to the debacle – the company went bankrupt. Zeldin also canceled a $50 million “environmental justice grant” to an organization that believes “climate justice travels through a free Palestine.” Decoded: the elimination of Israel.

An undercover video shows an EPA official bragging about, “throwing billions of dollars of gold bars off the Titanic” after Trump won the election. These “gold bars” are how various government agencies (largely without congressional approval) sustain numerous left-wing groups.

This is only the tip of the “melting” iceberg. Democrats are howling about the exposure of such things because, like the con artist, they are being exposed for many years of misspending our money and fear they are losing their grip on government (see the last election and poll numbers that indicate a majority backs the work of Musk and his DOGE squad).

The New York Times is running interference for those who are trying to shift attention from the fraud and waste. A recent editorial claimed there was “no proof” in such allegations. A counter editorial in The Wall Street Journal obliterated that claim: “A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report last spring estimated the ‘federal government could lose between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud.’ The federal auditor said ‘a government-wide approach is required to address it,’ and recommended that the Treasury ‘leverage data-analytics capabilities’ to stop questionable payments.’ That’s what DOGE is trying to do.”

Ah, government accountability. If only.

That’s a pretty wide fraud gap, but why should Congress and various government agencies care? It’s not their money they are spending. Republicans should not be left off the hook. Many are just as

guilty as the Democrats they are now deriding because of all the pork they add to various bills without going through hearings that would justify – or not – such needless spending.

The Pentagon is next for the DOGE auditors. Democrats have made it a target for years for overpriced and unnecessary weapons and equipment. They shouldn’t complain now about cuts, but probably will, because complaining, demonstrating and cursing are all they have.

Let the protests continue and let Democrats’ favorability numbers continue to decline as the public backs a return to sunlight being the best disinfectant and the old Puritan ethic of “living within your means.”

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).

(C)2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Chamber Ribbon Cutting

Michael Smith
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Chamber Ribbon Cutting

From staff reports

Bandit Body – The Artesia Chamber of Commerce welcomes their newest member! Bandit Body is a fitness and wellness studio locally owned and operated at 313 W. Main St.

They want to provide Artesia and the surrounding areas with an unforgettable experience each time you visit their studio. Their goal is to make you feel healthy, both mentally and physically. They are excited to provide the community with amenities such as tanning, red-light therapy, aqua massage bed, massage chairs, and more to come! They also offer multiple DAILY yoga classes for all levels focusing on body and mind restoration.

In addition, their dynamic dance classes are geared toward getting your heart pumping and boosting your confidence in a fun filled atmosphere. Their beautiful studio is lined with mirrors, aesthetic lighting, a large display over a modern fireplace paired with an immersive surround sound experience is available for adult party rentals. For example, but not limited to, Bachelorette parties or holiday parties accommodating up to 20 adults. Have an idea? Give them a call today, they look forward to working with you! Open from 9AM to 8PM Mon-Fri and 10AM to 2PM on Saturday.

Artesia Downtown Lions Club February Student Honors

Michael Smith
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Artesia Downtown Lions Club February Student Honors

From staff reports

Haden Harcrow Jr. Lion for February. Parents are Chad and Megan Harcrow. Haden has three siblings Mason, Mia, and Hannah. 

Haden sports include football and track. His favorite subject is History. Outside of school his favorite activity is hunting and pickleball. Haden enjoys video games and weight lifting. He plans to attend New Mexico Military Institute with an undecided major. 

Morgan Love Jr. Lion for February. Mom is Kendra Janway. Morgan has two siblings Miles Love, and Mac Armstrong. Morgan’s is involved in Business Professionals of America (State Vice President of Correspondence) Student Council, Choir. Sports are AHS Mascot. School honors are National Honor Society. Her favorite subject is Science. Morgan’s outside school activities is working at the Artesia Aquatic Center. Her hobbies are reading, singing, and dancing. She plans to attend Florida State University after graduation and major in Meteorology.

DOGE’s undisciplined flunkies know nothing of government

Michael Smith
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DOGE’s undisciplined flunkies know nothing of government

By Sherry Robinson
All She Wrote

In the who-what-when that’s the architecture of news stories, it’s usually the who that’s most important and the how that’s least important. But in recent federal firings, I find the how equally compelling.

Consider the slash and burn of Elon Musk and his DOGE groupies at the National Nuclear Security Administration, an agency of the Department of Energy.

NPR pieced together an account from interviews with fired employees. They were shut out of their email accounts before learning they were fired. Some were not notified they were fired. Some received a letter late at night that said, “DOE finds that your further employment would not be in the public interest.”

Their bosses got a few hours to explain – in 200 characters – why several hundred probationary employees were needed. They were fired anyway. Managers also made lists of essential workers. It didn’t matter.

After two days of chaos and a tardy realization that NNSA oversees the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile, the administration declared a “pause” on firings at NNSA.

Oops.

I’ve covered layoffs in the past but never one this sloppy and irresponsible. Business people, from time to time, have to shrink the workforce, but they’re always clear on which operations must be preserved and who’s indispensable. They observe laws governing cause and notification. And they often provide a severance package.

In the current wave of firings, Musk’s flunkies know nothing of government, its agencies, or their functions. They claim to be rooting out fraud and waste, but they’re not trained auditors or forensic accountants – they’re undisciplined coders, and they want all your personal information. Any claims of savings are dubious. Meanwhile, inspectors general, who do know how to spot fraud and waste, were fired.

Now let’s look at the who.

Journalist Andrew Egger, at The Bulwark, spoke to employees at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Among the NNSA casualties were the emergency preparedness manager, the radiation protection manager, the security manager, the fire protection engineer, and two facility representatives, who keep an eye on site manufacturing facilities.

More widely reported were cuts at the Pantex Plant near Amarillo, where workers reassemble warheads. It’s one of NNSA’s most sensitive activities. Pantex took a 30% hit. Altogether DOGE’s purged about 2,000 employees.

An Albuquerque Journal team looked at federal firings and found: 14 rangers at Carlsbad National Park, which will force closures as tourist season is getting under way; 20% of staff at Soutwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque – some of them while instructors were teaching class – which cost the school all its tutors; and 25% of staff at Carson National Forest and 40% at Gila National Forest, which thins the ranks going into fire season and tourist season.

And the Muskovites fired the state’s only qualified contaminant biologist who monitors and responds to hazardous material spills.

In another oops moment, DOGE fired 950 Indian Health Services employees and had to rescind the action.

Now freshman Sen. Jay Block, R- Rio Rancho, has introduced a bill to create a DOGE-like Government Accountability to Taxpayer Office in state government.

Block is new, so maybe he doesn’t know that the state, unlike the federal government, cannot run a deficit. It’s one reason state government typically runs lean. He also doesn’t know that former Gov. Susana Martinez ran off so many employees that some agencies posted 25% vacancies for years.

Yes, there’s waste and fraud, but we have effective watchdogs.

Musk and the far right have proven one thing. They assumed they could swing their fists in any direction and find useless bureaucracy and snoozing federal employees. They have now demonstrated that agencies have real missions and employees do real work.

Sherry Robinson is a longtime New Mexico reporter and editor. She has worked in Grants, Gallup, the Albuquerque Journal, New Mexico Business Weekly and Albuquerque Tribune. She is the author of four books. Her columns won first place in 2024 from New Mexico Press Women.

State of the City

Michael Smith
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State of the City

By: Luke Burns

Road Work Ahead

If you’ve driven around town lately, you’ve probably seen a lot of orange. Unfortunately, it’s not the usual bulldog orange we all know and love. Instead, it’s been the ugly, oppressive, construction orange.

Indeed, there are major road work projects underway in town with more still to come. By now, we’re all familiar with the work being done on 26th street from Main to Hermosa. That project will replace the water lines, repave the road, work on the bridge, add sidewalks and a bike lane, and add curb and gutter for better drainage when it rains.

Recently the infrastructure department also began work on their 2nd and Richardson project. This project involves a complete road rehabilitation as well as repair work on sidewalks and ADA ramps in the area.

While the previously listed projects may be old news, the latest update is that the infrastructure department is gearing up to start yet another project at the end of March. This time they will work on replacing the Grand Street water line. This project will run along Grand Street from 13th to 26th.

With all this road work happening at the same time, it’s fair to ask, “does the infrastructure department hate us?”

Believe it or not, the answer is no.

The infrastructure department normally tries to avoid having multiple projects going at one time, especially when the projects focus on the same part of town. The 26th street and the 2nd and Richardson projects had long been scheduled for this time. However, the Grand Street project had its timeline moved up out of necessity.

The water line underneath Grand Street was originally installed in 1968. The usual lifespan for those pipes means that it would be due to be replaced around this time. Originally the replacement of the pipes was going to be held off until there weren’t other projects going on in the area. However, the water line has been leaking recently, and with each subsequent leak it’s beginning to affect more and more homes. Due to the increasing impact of the leaks, the infrastructure department decided to start replacing the water line sooner than originally planned.

The infrastructure department is trying to reduce the impact to traffic as much as possible during these projects. One way they are doing that is by doing all three of these projects in phases. Working on the projects in phases makes it so that they don’t have to shut down the entire project area all at the same time.

It is worth remembering that despite how it feels, there is an end to all the road work. While the 26th street project will go until 2026, the other two projects are much shorter. Work on 2nd & Richardson will end in early August, and the Grand project is scheduled to end in the fall.

Ultimately, these projects show our community investing in itself. By modernizing our infrastructure, we not only fix existing problems, but we also set ourselves up for success in accommodating future plans and growth.

We will provide updates as all these projects move forward. We appreciate your patience during this time and ask that you please drive safely around construction zones.

Luke Burns is the Communications Coordinator, Finance and Administration Department for the City of Artesia. He can be reached at: 575-748-8289 or at: lburns@artesianm.gov

Medicaid Forward is a Bad Bill – Vote No

Michael Smith
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Medicaid Forward is a Bad Bill – Vote No

By Alison Riley

It appears chaos has engulfed Washington, D.C., and its effects are starting to be felt in New Mexico. Only a few weeks ago, funding towards essential services was cut off abruptly and without explanation by the federal government, including Medicaid. Thankfully, after several tense days, most of these programs were reinstated, yet looming questions on the fate of federal funding for programs persist. With the reliability of federal funds is in question, we should move to protect our state from the instability as best we can, including for those most vulnerable.

Unfortunately, legislation currently making its way through the State House may do the exact opposite: House Bill 186, a Medicaid Forward initiative. If signed into law, this bill will spell disaster for health care in New Mexico and leave us at the whims of an ever-changing Washington.

The Medicaid Forward proposal would dramatically lower the eligibility requirements for Medicaid to include those under 65 and families and individuals making more than 133% of the federal poverty level. To pay for this expansion, the state will pay 28 percent of the costs – an estimated $995 million. The rest relies on a federal government obsessed with cost-cutting to pay out more than $2.5 billion while ignoring the dire reality of health care in New Mexico.

However, the bill’s fiscal impact report is cause for concern, with the cost being a key issue for programmatic or administrative implementation, stating “There is significant uncertainty regarding the overall costs of implementing Medicaid Forward and potential impacts to the remainder of New Mexico’s health insurance market.” Additionally, the fiscal impact report states that the question of cuts or restructuring of Medicaid payments will also call into question the program’s feasibility: “The new administration has previously advocated approaches such as block grants or per capita caps, which, if implemented, could alter the structure of federal Medicaid funding and increase fiscal uncertainty for the state.”

As recent events have shown, federal dollars are far from guaranteed. The Medicaid Forward bill relies too heavily on the assumption that New Mexico will not have to shoulder most of the burden. Yet as we continue to watch with bated breath the unfolding changes in Washington, those assumptions should be viewed with increasing skepticism.

Regardless of if the feds match the requested funding, Medicaid Forward is already setting off alarm bells closer to home. New Mexico’s medical system has been pushed to limits with unsustainable costs and a rampant physician shortage. This program will likely only make matters worse.

To start, New Mexico is the most underpaid state in the entire country from Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements for providers. Increasing the pool of Medicaid recipients will spell disaster for health care. A study by Mercer found that 7 percent of New Mexicans currently insured under private plans would switch over to Medicaid Forward. This would cause serious problems for providers who rely on private plans to cover the costs of providing care to Medicaid and Medicaid patients. In fact, Mercer estimates that the Medicaid Forward program would have an estimated impact of $1.49 billion on hospital expenditures, further straining the system.

This strain would come at a time when our state already faces a significant physician shortage. Every county in New Mexico, except for one, is currently experiencing a primary care shortage. The Medicaid Forward program would place more pressure on healthcare providers and exacerbate the shortage, causing more doctors to leave for other states en masse and leave patients scrambling to get the care they need from doctors they trust.

Needless to say, this legislation is a big risk for New Mexicans. New Mexico families can’t afford for their legislators to take a massive gamble of relying on federal dollars that could dry up at any time amid the chaos in Washington, leaving our state’s taxpayers holding the bag.

Alison Riley is the Director of Public Policy for the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce

Bass and trout are biting with warmer weather

Michael Smith
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Bass and trout are biting with warmer weather

Information and photo provided by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

March begins with warm, sunny weather in New Mexico this weekend and anglers are baiting their hooks at parks and lakes across the state.

In southwest New Mexico at Elephant Butte Lake near Truth or Consequences, fishing for largemouth bass was slow using deep-diving crankbaits.

In Lincoln County, fishing for trout was fair to good using corn and Orange PowerBait.

At Bottomless Lakes near Roswell, trout fishing was fair to good using White PowerBait and corn.

At Carlsbad Municipal Lake, fishing for trout was good using Trout Magnets and spinners.

In Lea County at Eunice Lake, fishing for largemouth bass was slow to fair using 3/16-ounce jigs and TRD CrawZ.

At Green Meadow Lake near Hobbs, fishing for catfish was fair to good using PowerBait .

Near Portales at Oasis Park Lake, fishing for trout was good using PowerBait.

This fishing report, provided by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, has been generated from the best information available from area officers and anglers. Conditions encountered after the report is compiled may differ as stream, lake and weather conditions alter fish and angler activities.

Artesia cheerleaders focused for state title

Michael Smith
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Artesia cheerleaders focused for state title

Mike Smith
Artesia Daily Press
msmith@currentargus.com

A second-place finish at their own cheer competition Feb. 22 has not discouraged Artesia High School’s cheerleaders – the squad is determined to win the first-place trophy at next month’s state spirit championships in Albuquerque.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to perform in front of our home crowd and get the feedback we needed from this competition to help us on our journey to state,” Coach Sabrina Roybal said in a text message the day after Artesia tied with Goddard High School for second place in the cheerleading with music portion of the City of Champions Classic at the Bulldog Pit in Artesia.

Deming High School won first place as 38 teams from small and large districts from across New Mexico traveled to Artesia for the cheer and dance competition.

Last year, the Bulldogs finished fifth in 4A in the state finals. Goddard finished fourth, Albuquerque Valley finished third, Albuquerque St. Pius X was second and Taos finished first.

Junior cheerleader Jase Starnes said tying for second with Artesia’s district rival Goddard could serve as a “wake-up call” for the March 21 state competition.

“It was a little rough for some of us, but in reality, we all know it’s going to push us and make us better,” Starnes said. “A glow stick has to break before it glows.”

Both Roybal and Starnes said the cheer season has been good for Artesia.

The Bulldogs won first place in cheer with music at the Jan. 11 Rocket Spirit Blast at Goddard High School in Roswell. Two weeks later, at the New Mexico State University Spirit Championship in Las Cruces, Artesia won first place in cheer with music against 4A and 5A schools from New Mexico along with second-place trophies for game day and cheer with music.

The Bulldogs have two more competitions before state, including the March 1 Lea County Spirit Classic at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs and the Spirit Xpress West Competition at Bernalillo High School on March 15.

Roybal said those events should help her team move forward in its pursuit of a state championship.

“We take all the feedback we get from the judges to improve our routine and take us to the next level,” she said. “We have some pretty awesome routines, and our goal is to execute these routines to the best of our abilities and put on a show for fans.”

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.

Murder for hire case heads to trial Monday

Michael Smith
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Murder for hire case heads to trial Monday

Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@currentargus.com

Jon Green was incarcerated at the Eddy County Detention Center in January 2023 when police say he conspired with and paid another inmate to kill his wife.

The murder plot never came to fruition but Green will go on trial Monday, March 3, about a year and a half after he was charged with a single count of solicitation to commit murder for paying Greg Markham to kill Kim Lark of Carlsbad via a fentanyl overdose.

Markham was arrested Sept. 12, 2023, on the same charge but the case was dismissed by the prosecution. Markham told police that once he was out of jail he decided not to go through with the plot.

Jury selection in Green’s trial is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 28, in District Judge David Finger’s courtroom at the Eddy County Courthouse in Carlsbad with opening arguments expected to begin Monday.

The events leading up to the alleged murder-for-hire plot involve a complex web of fraud, forgery and thefts for which Green was convicted and serving time in prison when he allegedly tried to arrange the hit on Lark, who filed for divorce from Green in April 2022. The divorce was pending in Eddy County District Court as of press time.

What follows is a compressed version of Green’s alleged actions that led to the solicitation charge, according to arrest affidavits and court records.

Kill wife or ‘lose everything’

Green, 66, was convicted in two cases on Sept. 8, 2023 – one for larceny valued at more than $20,000 and another on two counts of felony forgery and a single charge of conspiracy to commit a felony.

He signed plea deals in both cases and other charges of burglary, theft and fraud were dismissed. Green agreed to a sentence of three years for the larceny charge.

In the other case, he agreed to three years each for the two forgery charges and the charge of attempt to commit a felony. Those sentences were ordered to run concurrently for a total of three more years of incarceration at the Eddy County Detention Center.

After being arrested on June 13, 2022, Green was being held in pretrial detention when he allegedly approached cellmate Greg Markham on Jan. 9, 2023, and hatched the plot to have Lark killed.

Green agreed to pay $2,500 to bail out Markham, who was incarcerated for a parole violation, if he would kill Lark by forcing her to ingest and overdose on fentanyl, police said.

Investigators were made aware of the plan by Lark in March 2023 after she received a letter from another inmate, Ryan Gonzalez, who was incarcerated at the time at the Taylor County Detention Center in Abilene, Texas, but had previously shared a cell with Green and Markham in Eddy County.

The plan, according to Gonzalez, was for Green to bond Markham out of jail so he could pick up a camper Green had purchased, kill Lark and steal money they believed she had hidden in her house in Carlsbad.

Gonzalez told Lark he had served time with Green and Markham for two months before being transferred to Taylor County and offered information on the plot if she would help him pay off a $40,000 bond.

Instead, Lark contacted local police in Carlsbad and on March 27, 2023, met with detectives from the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office and federal officers with the Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Task Force to tell them about the letter.

Police then traveled to Taylor County to interview Gonzalez who said Green had offered up to $60,000 for someone to kill his wife, had approached several other inmates at the Eddy County Detention Center, and had said he had a $750,000 life insurance policy on Lark that he could cash out when she was dead.

Gonzalez told police he heard Green and Markham discussing the plot to kill Lark and that Green said if he “did not kill her, he would lose everything.” Gonzalez said Green and Markham created a code phrase to use when the murder was completed: “walked the dogs.”

Green was charged in September 2023 with solicitation to commit murder.

Stolen dogs, forged checks and a fire in Monaco

During their interview with Lark in March 2023, police said, she continuously referred to Green as “Ted.” Investigators later found out Green was formerly named Theodore Maher until he changed it officially following an incident in Monaco. Police said Green was convicted of setting a fire that killed two people and served several years in prison.

That situation arose in 1999 when billionaire banker Edmond Safra died in the fire at a hospital along with nurse Vivienne Torrente, according to a 2007 article in the New York Post. Green, working as a nurse at the time, was initially blamed for the fire and served eight years in prison but was released after the fire was deemed an accident.

After leaving prison, Green lived in Carlsbad and married Lark on Valentine’s Day in 2020. She filed for divorce on April 25, 2022, stating in the petition to dissolve the marriage that “there is no reasonable likelihood of reconciliation.”

Lark told police Green began stealing money from her shortly after they were wed. She said Green broke into her home and stole $50,000 from her father as well as a checkbook Green used to write checks forged with Lark’s name.

An employee at Carlsbad National Bank called police in April 2022 when Green attempted to cash a forged check for $9,000 and a fraudulent cashier’s check for $44,000, according to a criminal complaint.

The phony checks led to Green’s forgery charges. The larceny charges stemmed from another incident where he was accused of stealing Lark’s three trained search and rescue cadaver dogs.

Lark, a trained dog search specialist with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said the dogs were valued at $70,000 each.

The theft of the dogs occurred in May 2022 when Green stole Lark’s 2015 Ford Expedition with the dogs inside, drove to Bexar County in Texas and was arrested days later when he entered a local hospital for an appointment.

Who’s on the witness list?

Lark, Gonzalez and Markham were all listed as potential witnesses in the case, along with Eddy County Detention Center Warden Billy Massingill and detectives with the Eddy County Sheriff’s Office.

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