A New Mexico man has been sentenced for the 2018 torture and murder of his grandmother, a crime prosecutors say was committed alongside his mother and her friend after a dispute over rent and eviction.
Drake Bickett, now 22, received a 24-year prison sentence for his role in the death of 65-year-old Marilyn Gandert, a longtime postal worker.
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According to police reports, the brutal events unfolded in late January 2018 after Gandert decided to evict her daughter-in-law, Alissa Bickett, and others from her home for not paying rent. According to KRQE, this decision sparked a deadly retaliation.
Court documents reveal that on the day of the murder, Alissa Bickett and her friend, Annie Rael, beat Marilyn Gandert. However, the women told investigators that Gandert “just wouldn’t die.”
It was at that point, authorities state, that then-20-year-old Drake Bickett stepped in and stabbed his grandmother to death.
Following the killing, the trio took steps to conceal the crime by burning Gandert's body and leaving it in West Mesa, where it was discovered by a passerby in late January 2018, according to the video documentary above
The investigation initially led to the arrests of Alissa Bickett and Annie Rael in mid-May 2018, as per KOAT coverage. Drake Bickett’s involvement was confirmed later, after police interviewed an associate who had spent time with the family around the time of the murder, the Journal reported.
All three suspects eventually admitted their roles in Gandert's murder, leading to varying charges depending on their roles.
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During the sentencing hearing, Drake Bickett's attorney, Stephanie Gulley, argued for leniency, citing a traumatic upbringing marked by substance abuse and violence.
“His father would play Russian roulette and force his family to play with him. You add on alcohol, drugs, meth and the influence of others, and you have a really toxic situation,” Gulley told the court,
But for Gandert’s loved ones, no context could excuse the crime. Friends and family packed the courtroom, still grappling with the loss of a woman described as a caring jokester.
“It feels like part of my soul is gone and it will be gone forever,” Harry Gandert, the victim’s brother, said during the hearing.
Judge Cindy Leos ultimately sentenced Drake Bickett to 24 years in prison, slightly less than the maximum 30 years he faced.
His mother Alissa Bickett got 30 years for her role while her roommate, got 12 years, as she was the first person to give a full confession, as per KRQE.
Gandert, who had worked for the Albuquerque Post Office for 31 years and was preparing for retirement, is remembered by her community.
In the days after her body was found, coworker Cecilia Ramirez told KQRE that Gandert was "someone that you can't even be mad at." Neighbors later created a memorial at her post office, honoring the joy she brought to the North Valley route she served for three decades.
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