Witness in murder trial testifies he helped plan killing, says accused pulled trigger
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One of the two men accused of brutally slaying a teenager on the outskirts of Santa Fe in 2023 took the stand Tuesday to testify against his onetime friend and accused accomplice.
Giovanny Salvidar-Nicolas, 21 — who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in July — testified in state District Court both he and Edgar Robies Escudero, 25, were also once friends with the victim, 17-year-old Eduardo Preciado Luevano.
The three used to go to “the movies” together — which really meant hanging out and drinking in a Cerrillos Road parking lot outside a closed movie theater, which is a popular gathering spot for some of the city’s young people, he said.
But Luevano had begun beating him up — not horseplay, closed-fist punches — and Escudero told him the teenager owed him $10,000, Salvidar-Nicolas testified.
So, they decided to kill him, Salvidar-Nicolas told the jury on the second day of Escudero’s trial.
Co-conspirator recounts slaying
Salvidar-Nicolas said he called Luevano and convinced the teenager to go with them to the Camel Tracks — an unofficial shooting range on the Caja del Rio southwest of the city — by telling him Escudero’s father’s truck was stuck there.
He also drove them out there, he testified. But when Luevano pulled up alongside them, it was Escudero who stepped one foot out of the SUV, cursed at the teen in Spanish and opened fire on Luevano with an AK-47 at close range.
After the shooting, Salvidar-Nicolas said, he drove Escudero to a south-side gas station to buy some beer, then took him back to work. He didn’t know when they left the area whether Luevano had survived the attack.
However, later that night Escudero “was panicked” and told him to drive by a fast food restaurant where Luevano worked to see if he’d shown up for his shift, Salvidar-Nicolas testified.
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When they didn’t see him there, they returned to the scene of the crime to see if they could confirm whether Luevano had died, but upon approaching the area, they saw emergency lights, so they turned around and he took Escudero home, Salvidar-Nicolas said.
Salvidar-Nicolas testified under cross-examination by Escudero’s attorney Sheri Raphaelson he had made a deal with prosecutors that he would testify truthfully against his former friend in exchange for a guarantee he will be sentenced to no more than 25 years in prison, an arrangement which allowed him to escape the possibility of a life sentence if he had been convicted of first-degree murder.
Salvidar-Nicolas — who admitted under direct questioning he had twice lied about what happened before eventually telling the truth — testified he had never been asked to submit to a lie detector test in connection with his testimony.
“So the only way anyone would know you are testifying truthfully is because you are telling us you are, right?” Raphaelson asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered.
Suspects blame each other
District Judge Jason Lidyard ordered court staff to keep the two alleged co-conspirators a safe distance from one another during Tuesday’s proceedings. A Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputy guarding Escudero had the defendant face the wall when Salvidar-Nicolas was entering and exiting the courtroom through a doorway near the defense table.
Escudero stared straight ahead as his former friend testified against him.
However he audibly wept and mopped tears from his face later in the day as prosecutor’s played a video of his own interrogation by a detective a few days after Luevano’s death.
The video — which was at times hard to follow due to Escudero being posed questions in English, then answering in Spanish, with his responses being translated by an officer whose interpretation overlapped the voices of the other men in parts — shows a glum-faced Escudero telling investigators it was Salvidar-Nicolas who killed Luevano, and that he had gone along that day not knowing that would happen.
Luevano had owed him money in connection with a construction project, Escudero told investigators during the interrogation. However, according to him it was a $3,000 debt, not the $10,000 testified to by Salvidar-Nicolas.
The state is expected to rest its case against Escudero on Wednesday. The trial is slated to to continue through Friday.
Raphaelson declined to say Tuesday whether she intends to put Escudero on the stand or call any other witnesses in his defense.View comments
Up next
Timothy Busfield Says He Immediately Drove ‘2,000 Miles’ After Being ‘Ordered’ to Albuquerque for Child Sex Abuse Charges
“I’m gonna be exonerated,” Busfield claimed in a video. “I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies”
Virginia Chamlee
Wed, January 14, 2026 at 4:04 AM GMT+7
5 min read
NEED TO KNOW
- Actor Timothy Busfield says in a video that he drove “2,000 miles to Albuquerque” to surrender to police on charges of unlawful sexual conduct with minors
- The video was obtained by TMZ and shows Busfield claiming that the allegations against him are untrue, and that he “got the call Friday night” that an arrest warrant had been issued
- Busfield is married to actress Melissa Gilbert and best known for his role as Danny Concannon on The West Wing
Actor Timothy Busfield says he drove “2,000 miles to Albuquerque” to surrender to police on charges of unlawful sexual conduct with minors.
The actor, 68, surrendered on Tuesday, Jan. 13, PEOPLE confirms.
In a video obtained by TMZ and reportedly filmed at his lawyer’s office in Albuquerque, Busfield claimed, “I did not do anything wrong,” and detailed his surrender.
“Hi everybody, it’s Tim,” Busfield — who is married to Melissa Gilbert and best known for his role as Danny Concannon on The West Wing — says in the video. “I’m sure most of you know, that are watching this, that I was ordered to come to Albuquerque – I’m here now. I got the call Friday night, I had to get a lawyer. Saturday I got in the car, drove 2,000 miles to Albuquerque. I’m gonna confront these lies. They’re horrible.”
He continued, “They’re all lies and I did not do anything to those little boys and I’m gonna fight it. I’m gonna fight it with a great team, and I’m gonna be exonerated, I know I am, because this is all so wrong and all lies.”
Busfield concluded the video by saying. “So hang in there and hopefully I’m out real soon and back to work. I love everybody for supporting me, thank you.”
The video came four days after the Albuquerque Police Department issued an arrest warrant for the actor, 68, on Jan. 9, alleging that Busfield engaged in unlawful sexual conduct with two boys, 11-year-old twins, whose identities were withheld from the public.
The parents of the victims said the boys met Busfield on the set of the FOX series, The Cleaning Lady, after Busfield joined as a director in season 2 (which aired in 2022 and was filmed in New Mexico), and “grew closer” to the boys, according to the arrest warrant.
An investigation began on Nov. 1, 2024, after a doctor at the University of New Mexico Hospital (UNMH) alerted police about alleged sexual abuse.
Per the warrant, the boys’ mother asked her sons, “if anyone had ever touched them in a manner that made them feel uncomfortable. The children allegedly responded by asking, ‘You mean like Uncle Tim?’ “
The parents were advised by an attorney to take the children to UNMH, where they say professionals suggested the boys “were groomed,” according to the warrant.
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At the time, the children did not disclose any sexual contact, a police officer said in the warrant, but they did claim Busfield “would tickle them on the stomach and legs.” The case did not meet their acceptance criteria at the time.
The warrant details how, on Oct. 3, 2025, the boys’ mother filed a police report, telling Child Protective Services that “her children both disclosed that there was sexual abuse by Timothy from around November 2022 to Spring 2024.” At the time, according to the warrant, she was told that because physical abuse had not occurred, nothing could be done.
The mother then told authorities on Sept. 2, 2025, and Sept. 22, 2025, that one of the boys told his counselor that Busfield inappropriately touched him.
According to the warrant, Busfield allegedly told police that the parents were upset their sons had been replaced with a younger actor who auditioned. The actor further alleged that he’d been told by an actress on the show that the mother of the alleged victims “wanted revenge,” per the warrant.
When asked by investigators if he ever picked up or tickled the boys, Busfield allegedly said it was “highly likely that he would have” because he wanted “a playful environment.”
“It’s not allowed at all,” Busfield allegedly told investigators of touching on set. “There is no, there’s no protocol. I mean, I’m always around people, right? It would be, you know, in front of the parents.”
An internal investigation by Warner Bros. documented that an individual “claimed to have witnessed” an incident in the hair and make-up trailer, in which “executive producer/director Tim Busfield entered and kissed a minor male on the face as the minor was getting a haircut” in December 2024.
In the warrant, a police officer writes, “In my training and experience, pedophiles often infiltrate families under a trusted role, like Timothy, who, as a producer, exploited the hectic film sets to tickle and touch SL on his penis and buttocks, masking it as play.”
The officer added that Busfield “would invite the family to off-set gatherings, with his wife buying Christmas gifts to foster closeness, making SL feel special and dependent— classic grooming to erode boundaries, isolate the victim, and silence suspicions by blending abuse into normalcy.”
“This dual tactic, charming parents while secretly violating the child, builds a web of complicity that is hard to unravel, delaying detection, as families trust the abuser’s facade,” the officer wrote in the warrant.
In a statement, Melissa Gilbert’s representative said she was “not making public statements at this time” and was “honoring the request of Tim’s lawyers not to speak publicly while the legal process unfolds.”
“During this period, her focus is on supporting and caring for their very large family, as they navigate this moment. Melissa stands with and supports her husband and will address the public at an appropriate time. We ask that their privacy be respected,” the statement added.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the original article on PeopleView comments
Up next
Girl, 11, Was Allegedly Found Undressed in N.Y. Man’s Bed After the Pair Communicated Online: Prosecutors
Nicholas Wieber, 28, of Bay Shore, pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child on Friday, Jan. 9
Nicole Acosta
Wed, January 14, 2026 at 5:27 AM GMT+7
2 min read
NEED TO KNOW
- A New York man allegedly kidnapped an 11-year-old girl he met online, with authorities later finding the child undressed in his bed, prosecutors said
- Nicholas Wieber, 28, of Bay Shore, pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of a child on Friday, Jan. 9
- Prosecutors alleged Wieber began communicating with the child on Discord, a free communication application commonly used by children for playing games
Prosecutors allege a New York man kidnapped an 11-year-old girl he met online — and they say that police found the child undressed in the suspect’s bed.
Nicholas Wieber, 28, of Bay Shore, was arraigned Friday, Jan. 9, on charges including first-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felony kidnapping, and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
Court records show Wieber has pleaded not guilty to the charges. PEOPLE has reached out to his defense attorney for comment.
Prosecutors said Wieber allegedly began communicating with the 11-year-old child on Discord, a free communication application commonly used by children for playing games, in December 2025. “His messages allegedly quickly became sexual in nature,” the release states.
On Dec. 12, 2025, the child’s mother realized her daughter was not on the bus as expected when she went to pick her up from a Queens bus stop at the end of the school day. After calling friends inquiring about her daughter’s location, the mother was told the girl left with an older man, per the release.
She then called New York State Police, and officers began a search for the woman’s daughter with help from the Suffolk County Police Department after the investigation led authorities to Wieber’s address in Bay Shore on Dec. 13, 2025, prosecutors said.
Suffolk police responded to Wieber’s home, where the child was allegedly found in “a state of undress in Wieber’s bed,” the release states. Wieber was arrested at the scene, and the child was reunited with her family, they added.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
According to the indictment obtained by PEOPLE, prosecutors allege that Wieber abducted the girl and “restrained her for more than twelve hours with the intent to sexually abuse her.”
District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney thanked investigating authorities for their “vigilance, skill, and determination,” which “ensured the child was found safely and returned to her parents without delay,” per the release.
A judge ordered Wieber held on $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond as the case is pending, per the release. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 17 and prosecutors said he faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count.
Key witnesses testify as trial begins for man accused of killing his wife
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By Leila Mitchell and Leslie Johnson
Published: Apr. 30, 2025 at 11:14 PM GMT+7
AMHERST COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – The four-day Fred Wiggington trial began Wednesday, April 30 after it was postponed Tuesday due to the lack of a court reporter.
Fred Wiggington is accused of killing his wife, Elsie Wiggington, who went missing in June 2023.
Jury selection wrapped up around 12:30 p.m., followed by opening statements.
In opening statements, the Commonwealth said Elsie’s family and coworkers became concerned after she stopped showing up for work in late June. Prosecutors say Wiggington shot and killed Elsie, then buried her in the backyard. They said they built their case on Fred’s shifting statements, physical evidence collected from the property and testimony from witnesses.
The defense argues there is no blood, DNA or location data linking him to the crime. They asked jurors to look at the lack of forensic evidence and question whether the prosecution has met the burden of proof.
Elsie Wiggingon’s daughter, Sativa Rucker, testified she last spoke with her mother around June 19 and that Fred later claimed Elsie had left him. Co-workers described Elsie as reliable and said her disappearance was highly unusual. Her boss, at the Fairmont Crossing Health and Rehabilitation Center told the court Elsie “never missed work.”
Witnesses then took the stand, including Elsie’s neighbor, John Wayne Goff, who testified he last saw Elsie June 24, 2023 carrying wood in the backyard before witnessing an altercation between the couple. He said he never saw her again after that day. Goff said he saw another woman, later identified as Fred’s ex-wife Patricia Wiggington, on the property just days later. Goff testified he did not like Fred because he was sleeping with his wife and other women.
Elsie’s daughter, foster sister, work partner, and a sheriff’s deputy testified.
Several witnesses testified Fred applied for and was let go from jobs in March 2024. Each said during the month of March, he told them his wife had been murdered and found under a pier in Virginia Beach. Elsie’s remains were discovered months later, August 14, buried under concrete and wrapped in a tarp on the property she shared with Fred.
Authorities testified Fred initially told investigators he and Elsie had been watching movies and when he woke up, Elsie was gone, but later had inconsistencies in his recollection of what happened. Search warrants were executed at the couple’s home and a residence in Lexington, where Fred’s girlfriend lived.
Fred is only being tried this week on two charges: first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The charge related to concealing Elsie’s body will be handled in a separate trial.
Fred’s attorney says the case is circumstantial and Fred maintains his innocence.
The trial continues Thursday with more witness testimony expected.
