Who was Cecilia Finona? New Mexico man, 61, gets 33 years for bludgeoning Army vet girlfriend to death
FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO: A New Mexico man has been sentenced to 33 years in prison after he admitted to killing his then-girlfriend Cecelia Finona. In his plea deal, Jerry Jay confessed that he kidnapped the victim and hit her in the back of the head with the butt of an axe. He then left her body remains in the desert outside of Las Vegas which were found after two years. The convict who hails from Farmington city was sentenced by the judge on Thursday, Friday 16 on the counts of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder in the 2019 gruesome murder case. Notably, she was an army veteran who served for over three decades in the forces.
“Finona was reported missing by her family in 2019, her remains were found in Las Vegas, Nevada two years later,” said the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. He also added, “On May 31, 2019, Jay murdered Finona after striking her in the back of the head with what was believed to be the blunt end of an ax, she was still alive when Jay placed her in the back of her own truck. Jay then proceeded to cross multiple state lines in the truck, using Finona’s debit card along the way to pay for new truck tires and gas before dumping her body in a remote desert culvert just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.” According to authorities, the case was initially set to proceed under a 2022 bill to help bring justice to murdered and missing indigenous people and their families, reports Law&Crime.
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Today, Jerry Jay was sentenced to 33 years in prison for the murder of Cecilia Finona. Finona was reported missing in 2019, her remains were found in Las Vegas, NV years later. Cecilia was a loving mother, generous neighbor and dedicated veteran who will be missed by many. pic.twitter.com/LmzSemAr0Z
— NM Attorney General (@NewMexicoOAG) February 16, 2023
Who was Cecelia Finona?
Cecelia Finona, a Navajo woman, was a retired Army master sergeant who went missing in 2019. The family reported her missing in 2019, and her remains were found in Las Vegas, two years later. Her boyfriend Jerry Jay, 61, later pleaded guilty to murdering her and dumping her remains in a desert.
'A celebrated veteran'
Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico Attorney General said in a tweet, “Cecilia was a loving mother, generous neighbor, and a celebrated veteran, qualities that would be appreciated in any community. Jerry Jay took a bright light from the world in 2019 and for that, he received the sentence that he deserves. I thank our prosecution team along with the San Juan County prosecutors for their dedication to this case and to Cecilia".