Mariah Ferry and Jose Torrez plead guilty to federal kidnapping charges for abducting and brutally beating two victims suspected of stealing drugs and money
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Mariah Ferry, 21, and Jose Torrez, 47, of Albuquerque pleaded guilty in federal court in Albuquerque today to charges of kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap for participating in the abduction and brutal assault of two victims suspected of stealing drugs and money from the home of co-defendant, Chase Smothermon, 32, of Albuquerque.
A grand jury previously returned a second superseding indictment on April 24, 2019, charging these three defendants with kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, and conspiracy to kidnap. Smothermon pleaded guilty to kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap on Jan. 24.
According to the defendants’ plea agreements, Smothermon, Ferry, Torrez, and other co-conspirators took part in a scheme to retaliate against the two victims. Smothermon, a drug dealer, lived with Ferry, his girlfriend. Torrez accused the victims of burglarizing Smothermon’s home in August 2017. On Aug. 8, 2017, Torrez sent text messages alerting Smothermon that one of the victims, J.S. was present at Torrez’s home. Smothermon decided to go to Torrez’s home to retaliate against J.S. and try to get his drugs and money back. Ferry drove Smothermon to Torrez’s home where Smothermon and co-conspirators brutally beat J.S. with a baseball bat and the butt of a gun. Torrez encouraged them to cut off J.S.’s finger or hand in the assault.
Smothermon and co-conspirators then put J.S. in the trunk of Ferry’s car and bound J.S.’s hands, ankles, and mouth with tape. Ferry drove Smothermon and J.S. to another co-conspirator’s home where Ferry beat J.S. further using the blunt end of an axe. J.S. died shortly thereafter. Ferry then mutilated his body in a shed.
Later the same day, Smothermon contacted M.T. under a ruse that Smothermon wanted to buy marijuana from M.T. When M.T. arrived at Smothermon’s home, Smothermon assaulted, bound, and gagged M.T with the assistance of other co-conspirators. Ferry showed M.T. a picture of J.S. and threatened to kill M.T. if M.T. did not reveal the location of Smothermon’s drugs. Several hours later, two other co-conspirators escorted M.T. out of Smothermon’s home and drove him to another location where those co-conspirators held M.T. overnight before releasing him.
On Aug. 9, 2017, Ferry drove Smothermon and another co-conspirator to a rural area in New Mexico where they buried J.S.’s body in a shallow grave. Ferry then coordinated efforts to clean up the crime scenes where they kidnapped and beat J.S. and M.T. and where Ferry mutilated J.S.’s body. Torrez helped clean up J.S.’s blood from his garage.
Torrez and other co-conspirators received methamphetamine from Smothermon for assisting in these crimes. Smothermon, Ferry, and Torrez used instrumentalities of interstate commerce such as cell phones, the internet, automobiles, and interstate highways in committing these offenses.
Ferry, Torrez, and Smothermon are in custody awaiting sentencing. They face up to life in prison for each offense. However, under the terms of Smothermon’s plea agreement, he will receive a sentence between 40 to 60 years in prison if the sentencing court accepts the agreement. Ferry will receive a sentence between 30 to 40 years and Torrez will receive a sentence of 15 years under the terms of their plea agreements.
The DEA and FBI investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department and Second Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The Narcotics section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
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