so Erica's dead no she's not I think that you guys are just telling me this because you think I killed her you know what I mean what I know you did just days before this interview of Armando Zamora his wife was found butchered and left for dead in a forest but no matter how innocent he acts it is far too late his officers were tracking every single one of his movements your ankle bracelet shows you at her house and that guy's camera shows you at her house alone the [ __ ] is stacked up against you bro and Armando will soon be left with no choice but to confess to his horrific Secrets all the anger that has been built up after all these years you know what I mean like it just that went wrong and killed her what you hit on head with on October 1st 2021 law enforc in Silver City New Mexico received a concerning call 39-year-old Erica Zamora's family hadn't heard from her since September 26th as an incredibly tight-knit family it was unusual for them to go so long without at least talking to her on the phone even more unusual was that her husband of 11 years Armando Zamora seemed unconcerned about his wife's disappearance when asked by the family about her whereabouts he brushed off her lack of contact by stating that she was probably off doing substance is with her friends naturally he was brought in for questioning right off the bat his calmness surrounding his wife's disappearance is questionable to say the least sit back yes sir F what to there Gonzalez how's it going good good all right all right Armando um so I think you understand where you're here Z you know why you're here yes so tell me what you think you're here for well the state police called me um today uh around 1 or two you know and and I guess they put out a mission report on my wife okay that she can't be found okay so what can you tell me about that the last time I had seen her was uh on Tuesday on Tuesday yeah I was going to work and then uh on Tuesday I was going to work in the morning and I went to my grandma's and uh started raining so I called my boss and uh so it started raining maybe around 8 or something like that so I didn't go to work so I I stayed over there at my grandma's for a little bit okay and then so your wife was with you no okay I had dropped her off where did you drop her off at her house okay do you know the address there at her house uh I think it's uh Arena's Valley okay um uh space uh C2 Val so what you dropped her off Tuesday morning what time around around seven the recorder everything recording here bro huh everything's being recorded still recorder oh yeah Tuesday you said it what time around seven around seven okay and before get any further I didn't explain so um you know this is voluntary you know you don't have to talk to us if you want to um but you know we're trying to gather information so we can figure out the location of your wife um but if if at any time you don't want to talk to me you just got to tell us okay um and this is just simply close for for privacy because there's there's guys and stuff working in the office so um and you're going to be going home yeah you came in your vehicle you're going home in your vehicle bro correct so we're not going to we just want to get a a statement from you to try to help help find hopefully you can tell something that's going to help us find her that's all well the you know she was kind of upset she's always been a drug addict and she told me um that she wanted to go on a drug run you know what did she tell you I was uh Monday Monday Monday and Tuesday she was talking about that she's you know she had showed me pictures on her cell phone of you know big old shirs like that okay and I told her you know I'm on probation I can't be around that stuff and you know she hangs around like you know um like gangsters and and and and just bad people you know thieves and stuff like that I told her I can't be around people like that and uh anyways we we kind of were on the road to get a divorce and stuff like that okay Armando is leaving out a lot of details about his charges here at this point in his life he was on probation for an incident in 2019 where he was physically inappropriate with a child despite that charge where his victim was devastated he seems pretty fixated on the morality of his wife's alleged drug problems so I'm just going to back up a little bit so tues day at 7 you said you dropped her off at her house you went to your grandma's yeah it was raining so you called indoors so you didn't go to work well I was going to go to work you know what I mean but when I had got to Central it started raining so I called my boss and I told him uh while it's raining over here in central he's all while it's not raining over here he says give me a call like in 30 minutes an hour or something so I called them within that time by that time it was raining so okay you know um anyways uh I had went after my grandma's I had went to uh her house I knocked on the door and there was no answer what time was that at uh I I don't know probably like like 3 or something 3:30 okay and there was no answer at her at her trailer had tra okay um so let's let's go back one more day so what about Monday what did you what did you guys do on Monday well I had went to work on Monday on Monday you went to work yeah and what kind of work do you do I do landscaping oh okay and what hours did you work on Monday on M uh I'm not too sure I think it might have been 8 to about 2:00 okay and where was your your wife she was there at the house at yours or at mine at yours yeah okay and Sunday what happened on anything happened on Sunday on Sunday we went to go and C Wood okay and uh we we got there around we got there maybe around like 12:30 okay and it started to rain so we had to come back where did you guys go to cutw at at uh over there in me okay at Northstar at norer that's what it's called okay so you got up there you said about 12:30 it started it started to rain on us so didn't get anything yeah were you did you go so you didn't go back to cut did you go on Saturday to cut somewh up there Saturday I think so okay don't oh no you know what on Saturday no on why you know what we did actually it was her birthday Saturday was her birthday yes on Saturday we went to go cut wood and we came back home so Sunday cut wood came home she stayed over at your house and and then Monday you went up and went to work and she stayed there at your house right and did she stay in the morning huh did she stay Monday night at your house as well uhhuh okay and then like I said in the morning because I was going to go to work I took her home and then uh um there is no work because it started to rain around I don't know on on Monday or on on on Tuesday Tuesday okay so 7 in the morning though yes and then like I said after that after I I cuz I sat at my grandma's for a little bit and then when I came back I went uh to her house I knocked on the door she wasn't there she didn't answer right and then Wednesday I gave her a call and there was no answer either she didn't answer her phone call on Wednesday okay after she wasn't there on Tuesday did you did you try to call her text her to see where she was at uhuh when you went to her house and she wasn't there oh no no um and then Wednesday you you said you tried to call her yeah on Wednesday I gave her a call so what was uh so talk about your relationship obviously it's Rocky right you guys are kind of going through a divorce yeah we're kind of going to a divorce sucks so what um you don't mind me asking like what led up to that it's it's uh I guess kind of like trust issues you know it's like um finances you know a lot of finances somewhere else should went elsewhere and uh you know stuff like that um when you say trust issues what like finances okay okay what about like like jealousy trust issues that's kind of like what I think of when you said that oh well she she's always kind of said oh well uh you're going out with somebody and stuff like that that's not true okay you know cuz sometimes she would a go buyer she would call me and she tell me well so and so saw you over here and stuff like that and I was like you know what my truck I wasn't even on that side of uh silver while I was working over here you know and I just kind of like I think she would just assume that and just I don't know okay that's part of it but a lot of it was uh finances and and you know cuz she used to uh get money like my money my work money and stuff like that and it it would go she would go take it to her mom's house or something like that and I don't know whatever what happened to that okay what about from from your side were you ever worried that she was cheating on you or doing any that kind of stuff yeah yeah she cheated she did okay yeah I'm sure that got to be PR um like that obviously makes you upset yeah you know argue or something I I bring that up I say well you're you always called man we talked to men all the time and you know a lot of the times when we fight I'd end up going to my grandma's house I'd stay there for about seven days and she had seven days to talk to other men and uh do drugs with them while I was at work or something like that sounds like she does that pretty frequently then to you yeah that that was that was always a frequent thing what so you guys get in arguments about that I'm assuming right yeah like you know we kind of like bring up the past or something and and be like well how is it going to work out if you're still hanging around with these kind of people you know I can't hang around with them and you know stuff like that or what what are we going to do with the finances and stuff like that they going to be you know stuff like that but how often would you say you guys have arguments probably like three times a week three times a week how how do those go are they I mean we all argue right we all have issues is part of life it's just the argument yeah you know it's not we never like hit each other or anything like that just a few months before this interrogation on June 15th 2021 Armando did file for divorce the two had been living separately for quite some time but seemed to have been in an on and off toxic situation on top of that Erica's family harbored a deep resentment toward Armando and their reason for this hatred is understandable as soon as Erica went missing her brother reportedly told law enforcement that he believed Armando was capable of murdering her based on his past crimes against their family um I mean help us out what do you what was that I I said help us out what are you well like I said I I she she's she's on drugs you know she she's she's bipolar she's diabetic and uh you know she frequently she kind of has like chest pains and and uh like breathing problems and but the only thing I could really think of is maybe she's a she's around partying with some people mhm you know does she disappear often and you don't hear from her or is that that's that's it's been a few times like you know she'll she'll be gone for like three days or she won't call and like I said most most of our relationships been like that where we might get an argument and like I said I I go to to my grandma's for about a week 5 days or something like that and then she shows up and then we're trying to figure out let's go back and work it out so and so she goes with you when you guys cut wood then right uhhuh how how is she like physically is she able to help you out or well she does like very little you know what I mean like she might U give me a couple logs and that's about it but okay I I I do everything okay did you guys like did you guys have some I'm trying to figure out what if she went on this drug run I'm trying to think like what triggered her to do that right so it seems like every time you guys get into an argument or something like that side corre yeah it's kind of it's kind of um uh it's just I guess cuz we're we're like in the divorce kind of stage that's what's I guess frustrating her and and gets her uh um like frustrated and just she's not doesn't know what what to really do you know so what do you think set her off this time did you guys have an argument recently that would have made her upset well kind of like on Monday okay we we had like a a conversation about about us what where are we going get or she was kind of time she just go and finish the divorce and stuff like that that's what she told you yeah is there anything else you can you can share with us that would help us in locating her I mean you're right now as our best information Source you know what I mean your husband yeah I mean have you done anything on your own to go try and find her well I don't really like know her her friends you know what I mean I don't know where they live I don't know what they drive like like I said the only thing is what she has already told me and You' been married how long I've been married to her for uh 10 years 10 years 10 years going 911 and so like a lot of her life that she had and the people that she talked to I never had their numbers you know what I mean I might have known maybe where they might live or something but um and that was just the ones that did go by everybody else that she did know I know where they live or nothing like that that one time she had a contact list of like 500 plus people you know so what what are you what are you feeling what do you think happened to her I'm kind of thinking that that she's out party you know she's out doing her thing like that and that that's that's what I feel yeah somebody called you Telles where she's at or just call that number let them know yeah if you hear from her if she text you just let us know and and like if if I see like one of her friends which I mean that's a very rare occasion yeah and if if well like I said I'll I'll ask them to see if they know where she's at or if they have seen her yeah but just be you know be careful because you know like you said a lot of our friends are felons I don't want you you know to go out and get yourself in trouble being around a f you know I don't want you to put yourself out there you know with your probation and stuff so you know it's up to you if you want to ask them questions because if you're concerned about your wife you at the same time I don't want I don't I'm not telling you go you know hanging around felons trying to get information you know because I don't want you to somebody say hey I saw also so hang around Soul he's a felon they're not supposed to be together and then you get in you know in trouble cuz I don't want you get in trouble man you know yeah so all right all right sounds good we'll walk you up front and then yeah I I thought I thought when I got your guys' phone call I thought it was the morning alarm and then I was like I looked and it was like very 12 I was like oh what the okay just take a left theway this won't be Armando's last time walking down that hallway after the initial interrogation detectives pulled the records from Armando's GPS monitor most of the times he had given them didn't line up but it did show him going to Gia National Forest to a wood chopping area early in the morning on October 3rd 2021 detectives drove out to investigate that location they were only there for minutes when they made a horrific Discovery Erica Zamora was lying face down in the dirt her body was haphazardly covered in branches and leaves in a pretty terrible attempt at concealing her it was evident that her cause of death was blunt force trauma considering the fact that they were chopping wood when she was killed law enforcement had a pretty good idea of what exactly the object used on her was when detectives call Armando in for further questioning things are a lot less chummy same chair same everything again so and we we called your probation officer he's good to go so you don't have any issues with C so I don't have to call the emergency uh we told him that that we asked you to come down and and so because we're doing that he's okay with it okay so first off have you heard anything from Erica I haven't okay she hasn't tried to text you call you no what about anybody in town have you run anybody in town that that says anything to you I haven't and like I said like with their friends I don't have uh their phone numbers or right you know I ain't in contact with them or anything I don't know where they live so that's you know that makes it hard for me yeah but like if I did recognize somebody like you know yeah no I understand I just have to ask though and then what about um Erica's like their family you mentioned last time they kept bugging you or asking you have you talked to them have they said anything oh yeah they well uh the mom has came by a few times and have asked and I don't remember exactly the days you know when but came by and asked questions and stuff like that and I told her well I I don't know what's going on where she could be at and I told her well i' figed with one of her friends you know and I told her that that she was wanting to go on a drug run and she didn't really understand what I meant by that cuz she's not fluid in English after making Armando painstakingly explain his timeline second by second to submit his version of events detectives have an important question for him one that he probably should have thought about before so talk to me about your your GPS so because it gets monitor by APL right or what's that your your ankle your um I have an an does it get monitored or no like do they monitor it I think so okay yeah do you know so when you go wood cutting do you have to call them like hey I'm going out of town to go get wood like cuz uh it's still in Grant County oh you just can't leave Grant County yeah I can't leave County like if I was to go to Deming I would have to uh let them know and and give them like a write down okay the license paid and all that stuff from where I'm going um so do you do you know what they all monitor do they know do they always keep track of your location do do they do that I would think so I would think so yeah does it lose service or anything out there do you think cuz I in the middle of I would have no idea when it comes to that um AR I mean you know this is the second time that I met you um you seem like a good guy man in cops speak any variation of you're a good guy essentially translates to you're cooked you made mistakes in your life and obviously you're on probation you did some some prison time for it and but you don't seem like a bad guy you know what I mean like we we do these investigations all the time we talk to other people who you know molestation charges and whatnot and all that kind of stuff and you know and we can generally tell like yeah this person just not a good person you know what I mean but you don't strike that to me right you don't yeah so I don't I don't know the circumstances on that first case or whatever but um you know I mean that's that's not for me to ask and and whatnot but you don't seem like you're that bad of a guy okay um but I have to say like I'm disappointed because I mean some of what you're telling me there's truth behind it but there there's a lot of stuff that just isn't adding up what do you mean okay um well uh you know let's take Sunday so Sunday you said you Sunday you said you came back and went to Grandma's at two right or two-ish I mean you know who knows what time it is and then you told me that you left grandma's and went to your house right okay I'm telling you that's a lie why so I have your your ankle bracet is on a GPS monitor so I mean it's very exact okay I mean they monitor every so minute it's your exact locations okay and so part of me asking you to clarify your locations was to see if you were going to be truthful with me or not okay I know a lot more information than what we're sharing with you okay and part of that is you know if if I ask you these questions and you're honest with me great you're an honest guy like now now I know what you're going to tell me is truth right but what you told me like I it's it's not the truth well like I don't know the exact time like I figure it was probably around two or three maybe you got back to your house at 305 is what it says okay so it's just pretty pretty consistent with what you said um but then you said you stay there all night okay so 3:25 um it has you leaving your house at 3:5 3:25 at 3:27 it put you at Erica's house you told me you never went to Erica's house so what's going on there on a on a Sunday MH I probably I probably went to go take her to feed the dogs okay that's understandable maybe and like I don't remember like every single detail of what we did that day or okay but you would remember I mean that I guess that's easy to overlook because that's probably something common you got dogs you feed them right it's just Instinct you feed them in the morning and I get all right and then so here it says uh 337 uh you went to the snappy mark right and then 351 you went to your moms you went to Harbor Freight you went to Walmart see what I'm saying how do you not remember that you don't go to these other places well like I don't remember like all those details you know what I mean yeah but you would remember if you go to Walmart like the times and stuff I get it you know what I mean like that's I I have a hard time with time like like I'm I'm be honest with you like I don't remember like every single hour sure where I go and what I do which is fine but you would remember the fact that you went to a store right so going home and staying home all night or yeah I think I went to Walmart I just don't know what time or I think I went here like you would think a person would remember that right that's what I'm saying Okay so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt okay so you want let's just start over Okay so I'm being honest with you like I'm not withholding any information I'm not trying to be deceitful or hide anything from you okay um but I'm telling you straight up like I know more information like I don't remember like I don't remember every single sure hour of the day what I'm doing you know like I don't you know like sometimes I go to work and then uh sometimes I don't remember the exact uh uh what I just had done in case you missed it Zamora can't remember every second of every day needing an out he doesn't just double down on this defense he SE tupes down on it saying some variation of I don't remember every second seven times in just over 2 minutes not a great look fortunately he doesn't have to remember where he was every second of every day because his ankle does that for him I guess the other thing that I find odd is so Tuesday you said you dropped her off 6:3 7ish right that's not true you're never at her house on Tuesday morning how you explain that what do you mean I wasn't at house it shows you 7 o'cl at your house and then at 10:32 it put you at Snappy Mark so you didn't leave your house till 10:30 in the morning but pretty much that's what that says why do you think why do you think it would why do you think that is well I I I figured it was maybe around seven okay it doesn't put you in her house at all you never went to her house on Tuesday well I had taken her in the morning all right so look Armando I'm trying to get you to be as honest with me as you can okay all right I mean like I said you you don't seem like a bad guy okay you don't seem you don't seem like a bad guy right you seem like your average person okay I mean we all make mistakes we all do things that we regret in our life we all have dated women married to women have issues argument I mean that's a part of life right I mean I don't you can't talk to a single person who's never had an argument with a woman right it happens right yeah no matter where you come from in life okay um and so I just want wants you to be honest with me that's it if you had an argument I am I am being honest with you like like I like I said I don't know every single did you did you make her walk from the hill do you guys get in a fight like or you know how some I'm done I'm getting out I'm out did because did you make her walk because you don't you never go to her house on Tuesday that's weird so she didn't walk from the hill okay so did you guys have a fight up there no at all no no fight and so what you're telling me is that on so she came back with you on Sunday yes sir that's what you tell me uhuh 100% yes sir you're lying what am I Ling you she did not come back with you on Sunday yes she did okay we know where she is okay that's what I'm telling you I'm giving you every opportunity man we we all make mistakes shes okay like like I I know what happened okay what I what I don't understand with me on Sunday what I don't understand is like the why like why what happened like that's the part I don't have answers for right I know what happened because I know where she is but I don't know I don't know how she she got to where she is and the way she is okay and that's a question that I'll never be able to answer that's that's a question that's the only one that you'll be able to answer okay so I mean this is your opportunity right I'm trying to if you want us to help you out I need to know everything from your perspective so that way we can try and help you out okay well like I told you she she came back with me on Sunday MH and she was at the house some one day mhm you're you're lying orando I'm not cuz you want to know another lie that we know you say that uh when you went to your grandma's house that your grandma wasn't there that's what you said on Sunday right M we talk to Grandma Grandma puts you there with her while you dump the wood right that's another lie well that might have been she might have thought about that on Saturday did what did she say for Saturday she didn't she could remember Saturday she said it was Sunday she said it was Sunday I mean like I said like so Erica's dead no she's not I'm telling you i' I have seen her okay where where did you guys find it right where you were Jobing wood so that's what I'm saying like like I'm telling you I know what happened right I know where she's at I know she's dead I've seen the injuries but what I what I will never understand is what happened okay when I think about it in my head there's two scenarios okay one scenario you took her up there knowing that you're going to kill her because you're done with her you don't want her in your life anymore right that's one scenario okay the other scenario you went up there to cut wood like you said like normal something something happened y'all got to an argument maybe she punched you maybe she attacked you you defended yourself things went sideways and and she died okay I don't think it's the first one because I don't think you're a bad guy that's what I'm saying that's not true okay I don't know why you say that that's not true when a cop thinks you're a good guy it's not the best time to tell him that's not true it doesn't exactly instill confidence but saying Armando is a good guy is the only thing the detective is bluffing about here they do have Erica's body they have Armando's location at the time of her death and they have him giving a less than Stellar acting performance in this suspect chair that performance is only going to get worse so put yourself in my shoes then right you guys are saying that I kill that's not true put yourself in my shoes arm we we have your GPS your GPS tracks you every minute those locations are exact to the minute that place that you go cut wood it's remote there ain't nobody up there you get your occasional Hunter and and Rancher but for the most part I mean h how do you explain you being in the exact spot where she is found dead at the exact time that you say you're there with piles of wood cut around how do you explain that I don't I don't believe that she's dead like okay so that's what he's saying like so why don't you believe it I don't understand why you don't believe it do you not believe that I'm telling you that I just I don't believe that you can be in denial about it all you want because you don't believe she's dead but I'm I'm 100% I had a Bible here I put my hand on a Bible we found her body there's no lie about that I I wouldn't Li we wouldn't lie to you about finding a dead person we wouldn't lie to you about finding your dead uh wife we're going to lie to you about that and like he said that GPS it it's tracking you here right now man it tracks you every minute it sends a p boom boom boom where her body is laying boom boom boom you're there you're there you're there you come home you went to Grandma's house bing bing at 7 in the morning never around Erica's house never the only time it shows you at Erica's house again is when you said you went to go check on her at 5 in at 5 in the afternoon because you did go check on the house but you weren't checking on her because she was dead in the hill so like we're not ly you man like we just we want to know what happened up there on that mountain and I believe that you want I mean you know what happened man like something happened up there between you two guys and that's why only you came back because like I said that GPS is what's getting you bro and from us talking to your grandma like doesn't M it doesn't M it doesn't match up M it doesn't match up so it Armando it's just us in this room okay the way I see it you're going to be charged with her murder there is enough there is enough because there's enough evidence like that GP like you are the only person with your GPS tractor with her her when she dies I don't know who you're going to try and convince otherwise you know what I mean how are you going to how are you going to dispute that well he's sure going to try I'm honest with you like I I don't know where she's at well I'm telling you where she's at that's what I'm saying come on she right there where you're cutting wood you know where she's at you're just lying to yourself like I am telling you so how do you explain that then how do you explain that how do you explain you being at the exact location her body is at the exact time she died how do you explain that like I don't I don't believe that you know what I mean like you're just telling me that just because like you don't believe that she think that that you think that she's dead no I I know 100% I was this is why we we're talking to you so L trying to see if my boots my [ __ ] shoes are dirty bro like we were just we been out there all day okay we found her this morning they found her this morning we've all day I don't believe that you you still don't believe she's up we found her body I don't believe that there's no other way to tell you dude I mean we were there we we put her body in a bag do you remember what the last thing she was wearing when you guys went up there because I can tell you because I saw her body gray leggings a grayish type of shirt or I want to say black shoes who was black leggings oh they were blackt like all the dirt right now dude they're black and gray she's been out there since freaking you know Sunday Sunday we're trying to like I'm we honestly are trying to help you arm okay I mean yeah I mean I know you know how it works man we have a job to do right like this is what we have to do right but dude manto man I'm a person you're a like you know what I mean I'm not trying to come at you hard I'm not or anything like that okay I I I generally like if you all got into an argument like that information needs to come out right because that is going to help you out so what what are the two versions right you don't say anything you get charged with murder and then you're left defend for yourself with with whatever story you come up with right the other version is you know what I talked to Armondo you know he said look you know you didn't mean to kill her like I I think that you guys are just telling me this because you think I killed her you know what I mean no I I know you did that's okay what would it benefit me to tell you that she's dead how would that help me like that's not that's like you that's just going to make your job easier to say that I was the one that killed her and stuff you know I have to have a body to be charged with murder I have to have a body and I've got a body we've got a body we've had four maybe six other people that had just come down from that Hill who saw the body she her body is on her way to Albuquerque to do an autopsy okay there's no lying about that so either you're going to you know BR help you yourself out and you know speak on it now or you going to see about it tomorrow the Morning News when that you know they're going to say Hey you know her body was found is at this point Armando you're you're not going home tonight okay whether you tell us anything or not I'm going to charge you with murder tonight period why I just explain to you with Armando just not getting it detectives take another approach Ro it's important to remember that what they're sharing isn't their actual opinion of the victim but with Armando backed into a corner they need to make him feel like they understand his choice to kill her I just think something went wrong you know like arguments happen all the time right I mean this isn't domestics happen wives get beat husbands gets beat whatever it it happens right I've been in arguments you get you get in argument you get so heated up like it happens okay and Bas and based off what your grandma said bro like it sounds to me like Erica has caused a lot in your life though she's CS a lot of headache and I don't know if it's to you or to your grandma but there's been a lot going on there that has been negative you know and everybody we talk to you she's on me she's bipolar I mean she she's not a stable person she's not you know I couldn't imagine you know I don't know her as a person I've never met her but maybe it doesn't take much to set her off right you're just you are you trying to tell me that I need a lawyer I can't tell you if you need a lawyer I need a lawyer right now do you need lawyer you tell me if you well what you guys are saying you guys are telling me that I killed her and stuffff like we're telling you what the what we found you guys are telling me that I killed her you know what I mean like that's not true telling what evidence we have do do you not do you not understand that what that thing on your ankle tells us let's go through okay the things that stand out the most okay again with Sunday and you went you went to many different places on Sunday when you first told me that you went home and stayed there okay I can dispute that all day long because I have I killed somebody you know I mean like I I don't remember everything I don't remember every single hour of every day that I do and that's and that's understandable like I get that like I just I I don't remember everything like I think you should should remember you dropping if she was really with you you dropping her off on Tuesday because you never went to her house bro never you didn't go till 5: in the afternoon dude that's what we're trying to tell you you never dropped her off on Tuesday you never dropped her off on Monday Bro because you said she spent the night with you on Monday you're saying I dropped her off on Tuesday morning there's a gentleman that has cameras out there in that neighborhood where she lives at your vehicle no never comes at 7 no time in the morning ankle bracelet doesn't show you there bro no time in the morning it doesn't show you there until 5 where is that let me see 5:30 5:31 your ankle bracelet shows you at her house and that guy's camera shows you at her house alone you understand that like the [ __ ] is stacked up against you bro because of the story that you're telling dude it doesn't make it doesn't match up to yank ret or the camera yeah or to the guy's camera out there bro like it doesn't match up man I don't know what to tell you guys the truth I want I want to hear the truth Now's the Time to man up and just tell me the truth it is what it is like there is no disputing what we've discovered there's no disputing anything since after we talked to you on Friday at midnight we've been here working around the clock putting holes all over your story okay that's what I'm saying whatever happened happened like it's done it happened okay like I don't I don't believe that that that that you guys like you know what I mean you guys are trying to charge me with murder like okay you don't believe it you're going to believe it whenever you're not going to leave this building bro there's a there's still more stuff we doing but we have enough already to charge you with Murder Game I don't understand I don't understand it's starting to run thin dude so what do you want to do you want to man up and tell us what happened out there or you want to get a lawyer like yeah I don't I don't believe what you guys are telling me like I think you're trying to course me to say that I did and all that you think I'm lose my job to try to coorse you forget that dude I have my family too to take care of I'm not gonna lose my job to try to course you man this is serious man like I don't you still like you know what we're going to do after this you don't get it I have to we have to go and tell her mom hey hey we found her we have to go tell her brother her sister hey we found her and she's dead where Mando lifter why why am I going to lie about that am I going to go lie to her mom and tell her hey we found we found your your your daughter and make her shed tears over a lie and the only reason we haven't talked to her is because I thought she'd be mad enough to tell us what happened so when we could talk to Mom we can tell them what happened versus you know what Armando just killed her don't know why I mean you have no emotion nothing from the get-go when she was missing like as a husband and my wife was missing bro no emotion and we told you I straight up told you she's dead I got nothing from you you've been married for 11 years almost you know if somebody told me my wife was dead I'd probably cry I'd be upset I know you're going through divorce and all that but there's still some love for her bro I know there is dude I know there is you know like I I really don't know what to tell you like I I I don't know what to say I don't I don't know what else to tell you guys did you kill her no that's a lie I you can't even look at me when you say that come on M like dude just tell us the truth man what do you want me to tell you if I I want to know what happened if you didn't do it who did it so who did I told you I didn't do nothing well who did it who who who caus those injuries to her on that Hill dude and put a branch over her face to try to hide her who who put her up there by the trees that you were cutting down are you telling us somebody framed you are you telling us somebody wore your ankle bracelet up there bro where her body is actually at their little pinpoints boom body he's here he's here every minute your [ __ ] goes off to this little database and it it logs it in and only reason yours is every minute and I didn't know this is because you know uh you're you're a sexual offender so yours goes off every minute I guess on regular paroles it's like different 15 minutes something like that your every minute dude you can't get no more accurate than that you can zoom into their map and you can look at the trees like it is it's legit you can see like like you said you you're your your points are all around her body you can zoom in how are you going to dispute that what story are you going to come up when this comes time to go to court I don't know what story you're going to come up with to dispute that data that evidence there there's no way so what are you what are you telling me like okay you're tell me that you found her dead that's what you guys are telling me this is what they've been telling Armando very clearly for the past hour and yet he doesn't change up his defense really at this point his repetition is likely an attempt to buy himself time to think of another excuse or Alibi I feel that you guys are doing I feel that you guys are lying to me but you you know that we're not lying to you okay and that's how I feel that you're just trying to tell me these things you know and maybe how you feel but I don't know any other way to explain it okay so if you're saying you didn't kill her I can't think of another way to explain how she was where you were at with you there with your truck there with your truck tire tracks there that's right with you cutting wood and there being cut wood there and you coming back without her I don't know how to explain that just just pick a spot arm and just start talking what do you want me to tell you guys I want you to tell me the truth I want you to be honest with me okay what do you really want like I want you to tell me what happened on that mountain can you do that for Erica's sake man for her family sake just tell us what happened on that mountain well do they know no no not yet after after we talk to you after this is all done we have to go s an off there to go talk to them they've been calling me all day my my voice box on my phone is 100% full like I I don't you know I don't know what to tell I don't care where you start I I just just pick a spot and just yeah I don't understand how how that's going to help you guys or how it gives answers to the m if you were if you were freaking died that's not gonna it'll help with the level of charges dude you're you're not stupid right you've been to prison okay do you think there's a difference between first degree murder and manslaughter do you think there's a difference well there's a difference but I don't know what with the charges first degree murder is you know what this dude straight up killed her man solder you know could be could be a number of different things right I I don't know what it is that happen so I can't I can't tell you where in those two scenarios it fits because I don't know what happened okay so that's where that helps out the way I see it I'm going to charge you with the highest level of murder I possibly can because you're not telling me nothing so screw you I'm going to charge you everything that's the way I see it right now your explanation okay he explained it maybe it'll fit a lower charge I don't know you know what I mean it's at this point nearly an hour and a half into the interrogation that Armando realizes there's no denying his pesky ankle bracelet evidence he asks law enforcement for a cigarette detectives happily agree knowing it's often a suspect swans song before they confess I went to go cwood and uh we were we were arguing that day and uh that was a whole way from you know from the house over there she just kept arguing with me and I was just getting like worse and worse and I went and cut some wood and uh you know for like the whole week already she was just mad you know like he starting arguments all the time and I I told her I don't like arguing and she always made my my uh my life like kind of she's always told me that I'm going to make your life out and all that stuff and she always like cursed me you know what I mean not like the what the cuss words and she's always tell me uh you know that God me and stuff like that she would always tell me stuff like that and uh I don't know like that's why I was trying to get a divorce from her we getting along and uh that day she started hitting me where like when you're out there yeah and I was I was already getting ready to leave cuz it was already raining yeah and uh we got an argument she started hitting me I hit her back and like all the anger that has been built up after all these years you know what I mean like it just it went wrong and I I killed her okay what did um what would you say like what was she telling like what would you say was the Tipping did she make a certain comment to you that just said well she was telling me uh you know what um as soon as we get into M this I'mma call the cops and send you to prison and she's been telling me she had already been telling me that she's going to do that and I just kind of flipped out when she told me that she going to try and get you in trouble yeah did she say like what she's been telling me look she had been telling me that if I'm going to get a divorce she's going to make sure that she makes my life H and that she's going to try to get me into prison got drugs or something like that while we're arguing they in the truck she uh told me well when we get into M this I'm going call the cops and I'm going to watch him send you off pres and I'm going to be the one and I'm going to be happy that I see go that's what she told up there and this is still you guys are in the truck are you in no okay on the way up there like are you already starting to make your way back no it was it was there while we're cutting wood it was raining and we got in a fight kind of like fight in inside the truck and then spilled out to outside and I hit her on the head and then killed her would you I I regret it with everything I have and would you hit on the head with ax like um full sized or a a hatchet axe or an axe an ax full siiz axe did you hit her do you remember if you hit her with the blade side or the I'm assing the blade side right the back side the back side the the flat part okay what happened after you hit her after I hit her I loaded up everything that I took there and then U I was still like real angry and and I took the a to her neck okay she was already on the ground when you did that I left so now when you say you took the axe to her neck did you you took a swing or you like put it on like like you know say you slash somebody or did you take a swing at her I SW SW okay where do you remember where at on the head that one was that this area do you remember what side I think it was the right side the right side of the head okay and then she fell and that's when you went to the other one I got her right here was she still alive when after she fell and you hit her with the one on the neck I think she was like breathing a little bit but I think she was already done okay with that just like agonal breathing like right before you died kind of breathing or whatever how did she get the injury on her arm that was a pretty good cut on her arm right like on her that was probably the that was probably the first swing maybe okay I didn't know she said that but that was probably the first swing and then when I took the second swing ad hitter knocked her up and then I think that I think she passed away right there okay and then the neck was the third the third swing armo thank you for for finally being honest okay but like thank you okay did did you ever use anything else to on her head what do you mean just like another object hit her with anything else just because there was one uh there was a one injury to the back of her head it seemed kind of weird I the axe matches up there's an axe hit and there's one down here but there was another like a hole like I don't know if it was maybe from the impact of the first hit kind okay nothing there did she hit did she hit one of the trees or something on the way down like when she fell I don't think so you know it was pretty all the bushes or trees right here okay and so you loaded everything up um and then what then I left left then you put the the did you do anything with your body before you left she she where she's laying at that's where where she's at yeah what about the trees on top of her I put those onp you put those okay why' you put them there like what were you trying to you said you felt bad did you do it why did you put the trees I to be honest I don't even really know why I just I put him on top of her and like cuz I I didn't want to see like what I did you know what I mean like after I realiz everything that happened yeah and I'll tell you based on our experience everybody's experience what you just said right there dude like we see that for people who don't want to when they care about somebody and it's gone to that point where they've you know killed them they want to cover their their face like that I didn't want to see like yeah see now see and I can't take that back I can't take back what I did tell me tell me talk to me about like how you felt after like explain to me what you were going what was going through your head what I had a lot of regret because it was like I didn't intend to do it I didn't I didn't mean to do it it was just that the Heat of the Moment like I got out I was trying to do my probation I stayed off drugs I did everything that I had to do and she was there telling me that she's going to try to get me in prison in prison that's she just kept naging on me that that's what she was going to do and eventually what what did happen that day is I just I I I completely lost it and I said well I'm going to have to go through with this because she she created this this argument where when we go back to me she's going to end up calling the cops on me and they're just going to take me to jail and that's what she was pushing for and look at look at what happened because of it I didn't intend it to be that way but why it happened and now I can't take it back I can't go back and take it back it's because she would threaten me all the time you know what I mean what kind ofat she if she wasn't going to get me that way she was going to plant drugs on my truck or something or or at the house and all she had to do is make a call and then oh W there's there's drugs in his house and then I go I'm in trouble for nothing and she just kept making those threats and she had already been doing that for about three months and she would tell me God condemn you this and that God judge you and all that stuff and she just kept saying that almost every day every argument and and uh trying to you know blame me for why our marriage ain't working and a lot of it was because she just didn't know how to have like peace you know she never knew how to give me peace she always showed everybody else like you know like love and respect and all that and and and she never really showed me that there are a couple of things to break down here now we don't have an upclose and personal perspective of Erica and Armando's relationship and why it broke down but we do know one thing Armando was on probation not because of drugs or touching a random minor but because he had inappropriate contact with one of Erica's nieces who was under the age of 12 it's safe to say that the charge didn't help their relationship and probably contributed to the lack of Love Armando was feeling from his wife of 11 years Armando hasn't been one to talk or Express himself for the entire interrogation but when he's given a chance to air out his feelings about his wife who he killed he doesn't hesitate she'd always made my life H like and she called that love you know what I mean and she tried to convince me no this is love this is nobody's going to love you like me and so I kind of got stuck in a relationship that I didn't even want to be in you know cuz I told her from the very beginning I said Ed we're just friends let's keep it that way I know that was her persistence her persistence her persistence every single day there was something I pregnant she would send her family over there crying take her back and uh kind of stayed stuck together ever since and that it just wasn't a good it wasn't a good marriage you know but at that time in the very beginning I did love her but after after years I kind of starting to fall out of love of the way that she treat me yeah you know and I would try my best to just try to understand why she is like that with me and I try to understand why she came at me so hateful you know and then down the road I kind of figured well now she's getting worse because I think you know the charges I picked up and and uh when I had got out she she told me way she's like you know what there's not there's people out there that don't want you they want you back in prison and they want you there soon and there she was she was always trying to find a way to get me like in trouble and she would throw out stuff like oh what if somebody come and plant drugs over here and this and that so I think she was trying to tell me that's what she's going to do and then like I said she she she always you know she would cuss at me and then she would say stuff like that like I judge you and condemn you and stuff like that and she had been doing that for years and years and years and you know like it just kind of got out of control because of the way that she was and she was like I said she was always hateful and looky look up the results that came out of it and I didn't want it go down like that I didn't I I didn't intend to do that I didn't have that plann like it just happen in the Heat of the Moment and like I can't take that back and I regret it with everything that I have I regret it I just had a lot of things built up within me for all these years and I think what happened that day I think that was the last STW I just uh having her tell me that she's my enemy and and uh you know like she she she's going to try to get me in prison and stuff like that and it just it all came to a just a very very ugly end and that's not how I wanted it if she was a different person I would have stayed married to her you know I mean I would to made the decision to go get a divorce but that that kind of made it worse when I did that oh I'm going to put you PR she I just wish that I I just wish it it didn't turn out like that you know mean like and it was my anger I was already angry was are really upset and one thing led to the next and took life Armando was charged with second deegree murder on March 29th 2024 as part of a plea deal he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 29 years in prison for one count of second deegree murder and two counts of tampering with evidence when his sentence is up he will be 67 years old