The New Mexico sword-slaying trial continues with testimony from the woman who admitted to viciously killing her friend because her boyfriend ordered her to. Kiara McCulley, 23, testified on Tuesday as the prosecution’s star witness to detail the incident that occurred the night Grace Jennings, 21, was murdered.
Murder Charges
Isaac Apodaca, 30, is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder after a woman was found dead in a detached garage on the property where he lived with his girlfriend and co-defendant, McCulley.
McCulley was charged and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in accordance with a plea deal with prosecutors to offer honest testimony against Apodaca. As McCulley took the stand, she spoke softly while describing her history with the defendant and the victim.
Star Witness Testifies
McCulley claims she was under Apodaca’s influence and even stood by his side after an argument in April 2022 ended with her being bruised up and having a broken thumb. Two years prior to the altercation, she said she had started working as a sex worker because her boyfriend asked her to.
“No one was willing to get a job or pay for anything, and [Apodaca] suggested that I basically start prostituting myself,” she said. “I told him I needed to think about it and then he just said, ‘I already have a couple clients for you. Just go out and do it.‘”
Apodaca took advantage of McCulley’s mental health state and convinced her that he was the Archangel Gabriel.“At first I didn’t believe him,” she testified. “Then he started telling me things that no one knew about me, and maybe a part of me wanted it to be real.”
Finding a Purpose
Apodaca also convinced her that he founded an organization called “Ghost,” consisting of a top-secret group of individuals which McCulley described as a “vigilante group that took out people. I mean, kill people who were, like, pedophiles, rapists, and even drug addicts. Just people who were considered bad.”
McCulley said Apodaca branded her with a tattoo as part of the organization. “I just wanted somewhere to belong,” she said. “He kept telling me that I could be a part of it and be a hero, per se, which is one thing I wanted to do, was be a hero to somebody.”
She said she believed it then, but no longer does and suspects she just wanted someone to love. “Why did you believe these things … that Isaac would tell you?” Chief Deputy District Attorney Haley Murphy asked.
“I’m not sure why at the time,” McCulley responded. “I’ve been doing a lot of self-reflection. … I just wanted someone to love.”
Sword Slaying
McCulley and Apodaca both previously dated the victim, and on October 28, 2022, she needed a place to stay with her cat as she went through another breakup. McCulley testified that Apodaca allowed Jennings in their home, and proceeded to tell McCulley to kill her, saying that she “could rank up in Ghost and all kinds of stuff.”
It was revealed in earlier trial proceedings that the sword used to slay Jennings was purchased days prior through Amazon. McCulley admitted to purchasing the weapon, but she did so because she thought the end of the world was coming.
“It was extremely sharp, and it was a beautiful sword, if you look at it in the view of art,” she said. Instead of Apodaca using the sword on Jennings, he handed it to McCulley. “What did you take that to mean?” prosecutors asked.
McCulley answered that she was overwhelmed with the situation, but that she “had no choice.”
“He told me he would hurt my mom if I didn’t do it,” so she closed her eyes and swung the sword at the victim. Apodaca told her, “Come on! Finish it! Finish it! Finish it!” before leaving the room.
“I did. I finished the job,” she testified. “As he would reference it.”
Possible Sentences
Closing arguments are expected to be heard on Wednesday in Apodaca’s trial, and afterward McCulley will face sentencing. Prosecutors plan to recommend 30 years in prison while Apodaca faces a much harsher fate: life in prison.
