Kiara McCulley, a 22-year-old woman from Santa Fe, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to the brutal 2022 killing of another young woman with a sword.
On October 29, 2022, police were called to a home on Jaguar Drive in Santa Fe after reports of a possible homicide.
Inside a detached garage belonging to Kiara McCulley’s mother, officers found the body of 21-year-old Grace Jennings.
According to police reports, a bloody three-foot sword was found at the scene, and Jennings’ body showed multiple stab wounds and injuries “consistent with attempts to decapitate.”
McCulley, who lived at the home with her boyfriend, Isaac Apodaca, was immediately taken into custody, as seen in this bodycam video obtained by Law&Crime.
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| Kiara McCulley and Isaac Apodaca |
According to police records, Jennings had once been romantically involved with Apodaca.
On the night of the killing, Jennings had spent the evening with the couple before things took a deadly turn.
Detectives say McCulley became enraged after Apodaca invited Jennings — his ex-girlfriend — to spend the night.
What followed, investigators say, was a violent and premeditated attack fueled by jealousy and manipulation.
McCulley later claimed she suffers from multiple personality disorder and said she didn’t remember stabbing Jennings.
However, police believe she acted under the influence and direction of Apodaca, who allegedly “coerced her into committing the killing.”
Additonally, detectives later discovered a series of disturbing text messages between the couple, allegedly showing Apodaca encouraging McCulley to kill Jennings.
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| Kiara McCulley’s Mugshot |
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| Kiara McCulley in court for her plea deal |
In early 2025, two years after the attack, Kiara McCulley pleaded guilty to aggravated second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
The agreement also requires her to testify truthfully against Apodaca, her co-defendant and alleged instigator in the case.
Under the plea deal, McCulley will face a 30-year prison sentence — 20 years for the murder charge and 15 years for the conspiracy charge, served consecutively.
However, five years of the enhancement will be suspended if she cooperates fully with prosecutors.
Also, Kiara McCulley must serve at least 85% of her sentence before being eligible for release, because the murder is classified as a serious violent offense.
Meanwhile, Isaac Apodaca, now 28, is expected to face trial in spring 2026.
Prosecutors allege he manipulated McCulley into committing the killing and encouraged her through text messages that night.
Police records indicate that after the murder, McCulley sent Apodaca messages saying she had “done it,” followed by disturbing details about the attack.
Further investigation revealed that Isaac Apodaca was the one who called 911 but he only reported his girlfriend as the killer.
Apodaca remains in custody on open counts of murder and conspiracy. If convicted, he could face a life sentence.
McCulley’s guilty plea marks a major step forward in the long-delayed case, which faced multiple trial postponements.
Below is a video of the case, including bodycam footage of the case below.
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