On November 26, 2022, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, 66-year-old George Bonney was fatally shot during an incident at his nephew’s residence. Police say 41-year-old Joshua Corbin told them the shooting occurred while the two were drinking and Corbin was showing Bonney an AK-47; Corbin said the rifle discharged and struck Bonney in the back of the head, killing him immediately.

Authorities allege Corbin panicked afterward, moved Bonney’s body to a nearby field and concealed it under branches and debris, then returned home to clean the scene and burn items later described as evidence. Corbin turned himself in the next morning and was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Investigators identified Corbin’s mother, Marie Cook, as a person of interest to be interviewed further.

As of December 2022 Corbin was booked into the San Miguel County jail and court records showed conditions of release including electronic monitoring and house arrest; a hearing to review pretrial conditions was scheduled for later that month.