A 25-year-old man, Armondo Paul, is facing second-degree murder charges after he allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend’s father during an argument on June 27, 2025, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico. The victim, who has not been publicly identified, died from a fatal stab wound to the neck.
The Incident
The tragic event occurred shortly after 3 a.m. when the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a call at a residence in Shiprock. Officers arrived to find the victim lying in the driveway with a severe stab wound to his neck. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to an affidavit from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico, the victim’s daughter identified Armondo Paul as the attacker. She told authorities that Paul had visited her home earlier that evening.
Though she had ended their relationship because of his abusive behavior, she reluctantly spoke with him to avoid further confrontation. After briefly speaking with Paul, she gave him a ride back to his mother’s house and told him to go to sleep. However, Paul later returned, and what followed was a deadly escalation.
The Events Leading to the Murder
After Paul failed to sleep, he told authorities that he felt a mix of emotions, ranging from a desire to destroy something to wanting to harm himself. Fueled by these emotions, Paul grabbed a kitchen knife and headed back to his ex-girlfriend’s home with the intent to harm himself.
But instead, he shut off the power to the house, seemingly hoping to provoke a response from his ex and her father. When the two came outside, they quickly went back inside, which allegedly enraged Paul.
According to the affidavit, Paul kicked in the door and grabbed his ex-girlfriend’s arm. As her father tried to intervene and pull Paul away, Paul allegedly pulled out the knife and stabbed the victim in the neck.
The victim managed to pull the knife from his neck before stumbling into the driveway, where he collapsed and began making gurgling sounds as blood poured from his wound.
Aftermath and Arrest
After seeing the victim on the ground, Paul reportedly ran into the house and kicked down the door to his ex-girlfriend’s bedroom, where she was holding a baby. The sight of the startled baby made him run back outside, and he fled the scene after hearing the ambulance approaching.
Shortly after the stabbing, law enforcement tracked down Paul and arrested him. He is currently in federal custody awaiting his next court date, which has not yet been scheduled. Paul has been assigned a public defender.
The tragic killing of this man has left a family devastated. The emotional and violent escalation of this situation highlights the dangers of abusive relationships and how unresolved emotions can lead to deadly consequences.
As the legal process continues, the community is left grappling with the tragic loss of a father and the emotional toll on the surviving family members.
