CIBOLA COUNTY, N.M. (KRQE) – A jury found a New Mexico man guilty of attempted murder after he threatened a Cibola County judge with an axe. In 2024, 65-year-old John Karl O’Brien was arrested for threatening to kill 13th District Court Judge Amanda Villalobos in front of multiple witnesses.
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The threats led to a lockdown at the Cibola County District Court in Grants. Cibola County Sheriff’s deputy Brian Gardner was later patrolling outside the building when he spotted O’Brien patrolling the building with a large axe.
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O’Brien was found guilty on felony charges of attempted first-degree murder and threatening a judge. He faces up to 10 and a half years in prison for these convictions.
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