Andrew Pixley (January 29, 1943 – December 10, 1965) was a convicted murderer from Dallas, Oregon . He was executed December 10, 1965, in Wyoming for the murder of two young girls in August 1964. He was the last person executed in Wyoming until 1992, and the first of only two after World War II .
54-476: Born Andrew Armandoz Benavidez in Las Cruces, New Mexico , Pixley joined the U.S. Army after being charged with passing bad checks. His father Columbus Pixley said he had dropped out of high school and had never held a job. He served two years, mostly overseas. He was described as "slightly built" and "nervous" and as a transient and dishwasher. There was a previous warrant out for his arrest in his home town on
108-489: A Commission/Manager municipality has identical powers to the manager in the Mayor/Council form of government. Mayor-Council system can be changed to a Commission/Manager municipality by popular vote if the population exceeds 3,000. Citizens in a Commission/Manager municipality may also vote on initiatives, referendums and recalls and the mayor has the right to vote on council issues. Only one municipality, Los Alamos ,
162-449: A Mayor-Council form of government elect a mayor (who only votes to break a tie, and does not have veto power), and a council of 4 to 10 councilors or trustees. Any municipality with a population over 1,000 with a Mayor/Council form of government may establish the office of manager who is not elected and administers the hiring and firing of municipal employees, enforces ordinances, prepares the budget, but cannot vote on council. The manager in
216-465: A charge of larceny. He was accused and cleared of being in possession of a stolen car in Davenport, Washington , two weeks before the murders. He had been living in a trailer with two employees of the hotel where the murders took place, David Starling and Orval Edwards. Starling was described as having had prior knowledge of Pixley's violent tendencies. On the night of August 7, 1964, Pixley broke into
270-513: A household in the city was $ 30,375, and the median income for a family was $ 37,670. Males had a median income of $ 30,923 versus $ 21,759 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 15,704. About 17.2% of families and 23.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 30.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over. Major employers in Las Cruces include New Mexico State University , Las Cruces Public Schools ,
324-410: A key recreational area for the city. Las Cruces has a cool desert climate ( Köppen BWk ). Winters alternate between colder and windier weather following trough and frontal passages, and warmer, sunnier periods; light freezes occur 69 nights on average. Spring months can be windy, particularly in the afternoons, sometimes causing periods of blowing dust and short-lived dust storms. Summers begin with
378-544: A large part of the original downtown. Many chain stores and national restaurants are located in the rapidly developing east side. Las Cruces' shopping mall and a variety of retail stores and restaurants are located in this area. However, the historic downtown of the city is the area around Main Street, a six-block stretch of which was closed off in 1973 to form a pedestrianized shopping area. The downtown mall has an extensive farmers market each Wednesday and Saturday morning, where
432-564: A room of the Wort Motor Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming , occupied by the family of Illinois Circuit Court Judge Robert McAuliffe, who were on vacation. McAuliffe and his wife were elsewhere in the hotel taking in a show. When they returned to their room, they found Pixley lying on the floor. He appeared to be drunk, but may have been feigning; McAuliffe said at the trial he had not smelled alcohol. McAuliffe grabbed Pixley and pinned him to
486-469: A single casket. Their parents later filed suit against the hotel in order to pay for the surviving child's psychiatric treatment. Initially, Pixley only told police "I didn't do it." Hotel employee Richard Southern testified that Pixley cited his Native American heritage in explaining why he "couldn't" have done such a thing. Later, Pixley asked to make a statement, and was examined using sodium pentothal interviews. He said he remembered drinking earlier in
540-498: A variety of foods and cultural items can be purchased from numerous small stands that are set up by local farmers, artists and craftspeople. This area also contains museums, businesses, restaurants, churches, art galleries and theaters, which add a great deal to the changing character of Las Cruces' historic downtown. In August 2005, a master plan was adopted, the centerpiece of which was the restoration of narrow lanes of two-way traffic on this model portion of Main Street. Main Street
594-472: Is a charter city (also called a home rule city) and has a council–manager form of government. The city council consists of six councillors and the mayor , who chairs the meetings. The mayor is elected at-large, and each of the city councilors represents one neighborhood district within the city. Each resident of Las Cruces is thus represented by the mayor and by one city councilor. The mayor and city council members serve staggered four-year terms. As of
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#1732779599054648-526: Is a state located in the Western United States . According to the 2020 United States Census , New Mexico is the 15th least-populous state with 2,117,522 inhabitants but the 5th-largest by land area , spanning 121,298.15 square miles (314,160.8 km ). New Mexico is divided into 33 counties and contains 106 municipalities consisting of cities, towns, villages and an incorporated county. New Mexico's municipalities cover only 1% of
702-596: Is an incorporated City-County with a Council-Manager system through the Los Alamos County Charter. Municipalities may also adopt a home rule charter which gives local municipalities powers not specifically authorized for municipalities by the state statutes. Twelve municipalities have adopted home rule or a charter in New Mexico. The largest municipality by population in New Mexico is Albuquerque with 564,559 residents or approximately 26.7% of
756-505: Is available. Las Cruces holds a Ciclovía , a citywide event featuring exercise and physical activities, on the last Sunday of each month at Meerscheidt Recreation Center. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is a 47-acre (190,000 m2) interactive museum that chronicles the New Mexico's 3,000-year history of farming and ranching. The museum is part of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs . Las Cruces
810-551: Is located just east of New Mexico State University . The New Mexico State University Arthropod Museum and Collection contains approximately 500,000 arthropod specimens. The University Museum (Kent Hall) at New Mexico State University focuses on archeological and ethnographic collections and also has some history and natural science collections. The Zuhl Museum (located in the Alumni and Visitors' Center) at New Mexico State University focuses on geologic collections, including
864-694: Is part of the larger El Paso–Las Cruces combined statistical area with a population of 1,088,420 making it the 56th largest combined statistical area in the United States. Las Cruces is the economic and geographic center of the Mesilla Valley , the agricultural region on the floodplain of the Rio Grande which extends from Hatch to the west side of El Paso, Texas . Las Cruces is the home of New Mexico State University (NMSU), New Mexico's only land-grant university . The city's major employer
918-438: Is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County . As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385, making Las Cruces the most populous city in both Doña Ana County and southern New Mexico. The Las Cruces metropolitan area had an estimated population of 213,849 in 2017. It is the principal city of a metropolitan statistical area which encompasses all of Doña Ana County and
972-483: Is the federal government on nearby White Sands Test Facility and White Sands Missile Range . The Organ Mountains , 10 miles (16 km) to the east, are dominant in the city's landscape, along with the Doña Ana Mountains , Robledo Mountains , and Picacho Peak. Las Cruces lies 225 miles (362 km) south of Albuquerque, 42 miles (68 km) northwest of El Paso, Texas and 41 miles (66 km) north of
1026-418: Is the nearest city to each, and they provide Las Cruces' workforce with many high-paying, stable, government jobs. In recent years, the influx of retirees from out of state has also increased Las Cruces' population. In the 1960s Las Cruces undertook a large urban renewal project, intended to convert the old downtown into a modern city center. As part of this, St. Genevieve 's Catholic Church, built in 1859,
1080-501: The Chihuahuan Desert ecoregion, and the vegetation surrounding the built portions of the city are typical of this setting; it includes creosote bush ( Larrea tridentata ), soaptree ( Yucca elata ), tarbush ( Flourensia cernua ), broom dalea ( Psorothamnus scoparius ), and various desert grasses such as tobosa ( Hilaria mutica or Pleuraphis mutica ) and black grama ( Bouteloua eriopoda ). The Rio Grande bisects
1134-628: The Mexican border at Sunland Park . Spaceport America , which has corporate offices in Las Cruces, operates from 55 miles (89 km) to the north; it has completed several successful crewed, sub-orbital flights. The city is also the headquarters for Virgin Galactic , the world's first company to offer sub-orbital spaceflights . During the Mexican–American War , the Battle of El Bracito
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#17327795990541188-526: The Mexican-American War . The town was named "Las Cruces" after three crosses which were once located just north of the town. Initially, Mesilla became the leading settlement of the area, with more than 2,000 residents in 1860, more than twice what Las Cruces had; at that time, Mesilla had a population primarily of Mexican descent. When the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway reached
1242-627: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 76.6 square miles (198.5 km ), of which 76.5 square miles (198.1 km ) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km ), or 0.18%, is water. Las Cruces is the center of the Organ Caldera; the Doña Ana Mountains to the north and the Organ Mountains to the east are its margins. Its major eruption was 32 Ma . Doña Ana County lies within
1296-601: The Wyoming State Hospital , who pronounced him sane, but an "incurable sociopath" at the trial, adding that "it meant a lot more to Pixley to kill the girls while they were awake." At this, Robert McAuliffe got up from his seat and attempted to assault Pixley before being restrained. The psychiatrist went on to describe Pixley as "one of the sickest we've ever seen sociopathically", and that the odds of him being rehabilitated were "absolutely nil". Pixley pleaded guilty to first degree murder for killing Debbie and
1350-573: The 2024, the mayor is Eric Enriquez. Councilors are Cassie McClure, Dist. 1; Bill Mattiace, Dist. 2; Becki Graham, Dist. 3; Johana Bencomo, Dist. 4; Becky Corran, Dist. 5; Yvonne Flores, Dist. 6. Live and archived video of city council meetings are available anytime at Las Cruces, NM . In the November 2019 municipal election, Ranked Choice Voting was used for the first time. List of municipalities in New Mexico New Mexico
1404-495: The City of Las Cruces, Memorial Medical Center , Walmart , MountainView Regional Medical Center , Doña Ana County , Doña Ana Community College , Addus HealthCare, and NASA . Movies and TV series shot in Las Cruces include: Most of Las Cruces's cultural events are held late in the calendar year. The New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is state-operated and shows the history of farming and ranching in New Mexico. It
1458-535: The Las Cruces area. Most winter moisture is in the form of rain, though some light snowfalls happen most winters, usually enough to accumulate and stay on the ground for a few hours. Summer precipitation is often from heavy thunderstorms, especially from the late summer monsoon weather pattern. Since records began in 1892, the lowest temperature recorded at New Mexico State University has been −10 °F (−23.3 °C) on January 11, 1962 – though only ten nights have ever fallen to or below 0 °F (−17.8 °C) – and
1512-654: The Mesilla Valley and passes west of Las Cruces proper, supplying irrigation water for the intensive agriculture surrounding the city. However, since the institution of water rights, the Rio Grande fills its banks only when water is released from upstream dams, which before 2020 usually occurred at least from March to September. Drought conditions, exacerbated by climate change, mean that the Rio Grande experiences increasingly short or small flows. Prior to farming and ranching, desert shrub vegetation extended into
1566-421: The Mesilla Valley are often dissected with arroyos , dry streams that often carry water following heavy thunderstorms. These arroyos often contain scattered small trees, and they serve as wildlife corridors between Las Cruces' urban areas and adjacent deserts or mountains. Unlike many cities its size, Las Cruces lacks a true central business district. This is because in the 1960s an urban-renewal project tore down
1620-715: The NCAA tournament for the first time since 1988, when it won both the WAC regular season and tournament championships. The Las Cruces Kings have been a long running semi-professional football team in the city. Beginning in the 2010 season, the Las Cruces Vaqueros were the first ever professional sports team in Las Cruces. In the 2011 season the Vaqueros joined the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs against
1674-620: The White Sands Pupfish, Roswell Invaders, Ruidoso Osos, Alpine Cowboys and Carlsbad Bats. The Vaqueros played in the Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs for the 2011–2013 seasons. The team returned for the 2015 season, but structural damage to their home ballpark in January 2016 forced them to sit out the 2016 season. They plan to return for the 2017 season. Las Cruces operates 87 city parks, 18 tennis courts, and four golf courses. A list of parks, with facilities and maps,
Andrew Pixley - Misplaced Pages Continue
1728-752: The Wyoming gas chamber. Until the execution of Mark Hopkinson in 1992, Pixley was the last person to be put to death in Wyoming. According to genealogical research, Robert and Betty McAuliffe divorced sometime after the murders. McAuliffe remarried Charlotte Olivia Moon Branch and had a son, Jon David McAuliffe, born on January 21, 1974, in Chicago. Robert died on April 1, 1998, of a heart attack. Betty McAuliffe died on November 28, 2010. Susan McAuliffe married and had five children. Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces ( / l ɑː s ˈ k r uː s ɪ s / ; Spanish: [las 'kruses] "the crosses")
1782-400: The area, the landowners of Mesilla refused to sell it the rights-of-way, and instead residents of Las Cruces donated the rights-of-way and land for a depot in Las Cruces. The first train reached Las Cruces in 1881. Las Cruces was not affected as strongly by the train as some other villages, as it was not a terminus or a crossroads, but the population did grow to 2,300 in the 1880s. Las Cruces
1836-563: The city was 69.0% White , 2.3% African American , 1.7% Native American , 1.2% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 21.6% from other races , and 4.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.7% of the population. There were 29,184 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.3% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.9% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who
1890-526: The crime, she may actually have witnessed the assault on her sisters. Pixley had apparently climbed a stack of wood and scaled the rear wall of the hotel, removing a screen to get in at the window. As Pixley was taken by police from the hotel, a crowd outside called for him to be lynched. He was taken to a jail in another town and then to the Wyoming State Penitentiary for better security. The McAuliffe sisters were buried together in
1944-538: The driest calendar year 1970 with 3.44 inches (87.4 mm). As of the 2020 census Las Cruces had a population of 111,385. Estimates for 2019 say that Las Cruces had a population of 103,432. Its demographics were 32.5% Non-Hispanic White , 2.8% African American or Black, 1.4% Native American , 1.8% Asian , 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 2.9% Two or more races, 60.5% Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 39,925 households with an average household size of 2.51 people per household. Median household income
1998-405: The evening, but could not remember entering the hotel or killing the girls. His court-appointed attorney, Robert Hufsmith, added that Pixley remembered being in the company of another person earlier that evening, but that his mind was "blank since he left that person." Pixley later admitted to the murders, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity . Pixley was examined by Dr. William Karn Jr. of
2052-530: The finest collection of petrified wood on display and a large fossil and mineral collection. There are four city-owned museums. The Branigan Cultural Center examines local history through photographs, sculpture, paintings, and poetry. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places . The Las Cruces Museum of Art offers art exhibits and classes. The Las Cruces Museum of Natural History makes science and natural history more accessible to
2106-437: The floor. Police officer James Jensen heard Mrs. McAuliffe screaming and rushed to the scene, where McAuliffe shouted "My God, this man has killed my babies." Their older daughters, Debbie, 12, and Cindy, 8 lay dead in their beds. The girls had been sexually assaulted, Debbie had been bludgeoned with a rock, and Cindy beaten and strangled. The youngest child, six-year-old Susan, was unharmed. Initially described as asleep during
2160-444: The general public and has an emphasis on local animals and plants. The Las Cruces Railroad Museum is in the historic Santa Fe Railroad station. It exhibits the impact of the railroads on the local area. The Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra is an 80-member orchestra , conducted by Dr. Ming Luke. The orchestra consists of 47% students, 17% NMSU faculty, 20% other local musicians, and 16% professionals from outside Las Cruces. The venue of
2214-625: The highest 110 °F (43.3 °C) on June 28, 1994. The lowest maximum on record is 16 °F (−8.9 °C) on January 28, 1948, and the highest minimum 83 °F (28.3 °C) on June 8, 2024. The wettest calendar year has been 1941 with 19.60 inches (497.8 mm), although 1905 with 17.09 inches (434.1 mm) is the only other year to exceed 15 inches (380 mm). The only months to exceed 6 inches (150 mm) have been September 1941 with 7.53 inches (191.3 mm) and August 1935 with 7.41 inches (188.2 mm). The wettest single day has been August 30, 1935 with 6.49 inches (164.8 mm) and
Andrew Pixley - Misplaced Pages Continue
2268-455: The hottest weather of the year, with some extended periods of over 100 °F (37.8 °C) temperatures not uncommon, while the latter half of the summer sees increased humidity and frequent afternoon thunderstorms, with slightly lower daytime temperatures. Autumns feature decreasing temperatures and decreasing precipitation. Precipitation is very light from October to June, with only occasional winter storm systems bringing any precipitation to
2322-599: The intersection of Triviz Drive and Griggs Avenue. Multimedia artist group Keep Adding have a large mural titled Wave Nest on Picacho Avenue at the Lion's Park. The Cathedral of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces . Las Cruces is the home of Vado Speedway Park, a 3/8ths of a mile dirt track that host the annual Wild West Shootout. At
2376-677: The orchestra is the NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. The orchestra received attention with the world premiere of Bill McGlaughlin 's Remembering Icarus , a tribute to local radio pioneer Ralph Willis Goddard, performed by the LCSO on October 1, 2005. The performance was taped and broadcast nationally on NPR 's Performance Today on December 9, 2005 and on July 4, 2007, on Performance Today and on Sirius Satellite Radio . Several water tanks in Las Cruces have been painted with murals by Tony Pennock, including one at
2430-775: The state's land mass but are home to 65.4% of its population. All municipalities are granted local government powers including the collection of property tax, funding of fire protection and public transit, providing and maintaining public parks, cemeteries, hospitals, libraries, and museums, building and zoning regulations, and the maintenance of municipal water, sewer, electric, natural gas and solid waste utilities. Municipalities in New Mexico may adopt one of five forms of municipal government including Mayor-Council, Mayor-Council with Manager, Council-Manager, Commission-Manager, or City-County Council-Manager. All municipalities over 10,000 people must elect their representatives by district, with those under 10,000 having option to do so. Citizens in
2484-704: The university level, the New Mexico State Aggies compete in Conference USA for various sports such as men's and women's basketball, as well as football. Aggies men's basketball has had a rich history of success. Between 2010 and 2019, the Aggies made the NCAA tournament eight times. The team also reached the Final Four of the tournament in 1970. The 2014-15 NMSU women's basketball team reached
2538-492: The valley from the adjacent deserts, including extensive stands of tornillo ( Prosopis pubescens ) and catclaw acacia ( Acacia greggii ). Desert grasslands extend in large part between the edges of Las Cruces and the lower slopes of the nearby Organ and Robledo Mountains, where grasses and assorted shrubs and cacti dominate large areas of this mostly rangeland as well as the occasional large-lot subdivision housing. The desert and desert grassland uplands surrounding both sides of
2592-403: Was sentenced to death . He started laughing when the execution date was announced. Robert McAuliffe told him "laugh some more, you animal." Although an appeal was filed to change his sentence to life imprisonment, he said he did not want an appeal. He was executed by lethal gas at the Wyoming State Penitentiary on December 10, 1965. He took the longest time to die of any person ever executed in
2646-487: Was $ 43,022, and the percentage of people in poverty was 23.6%. As of the 2010 census Las Cruces had a population of 97,618. The ethnic and racial makeup of the population was: As of the census of 2000, there were 74,267 people, 29,184 households, and 18,123 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,425.7 inhabitants per square mile (550.5/km ). There were 31,682 housing units at an average density of 608.2 per square mile (234.8/km ). The racial makeup of
2700-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.05. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 19.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males. The median income for
2754-686: Was fought nearby on Christmas Day, 1846. The settlement of Las Cruces was founded in 1849 when the US Army first surveyed the town, thus opening up the area for American settlement. The town was first surveyed as the result of the American acquisition of the land surrounding Las Cruces, which later became the New Mexico Territory . This land had been ceded to the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, which ended
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#17327795990542808-644: Was incorporated as a town in 1907. Pat Garrett is best known for his involvement in the Lincoln County War , but he also worked in Las Cruces on a famous case, the disappearance of Albert Jennings Fountain in 1896. New Mexico State University was founded in 1888, and it has grown as Las Cruces has grown. The growth of Las Cruces has been attributed to the university, government jobs, and recent retirees. The establishment of White Sands Missile Range in 1944 and White Sands Test Facility in 1963 has been integral to population growth. Las Cruces
2862-403: Was razed to make way for a downtown pedestrian mall . The original covered walkways have been removed in favor of a more traditional main street thoroughfare. On February 10, 1990, seven people were shot, four fatally, in the Las Cruces bowling alley massacre . The incident remains unsolved. The approximate elevation of Las Cruces is 3,908 feet (1,191 m) above sea level. According to
2916-522: Was reopened to vehicular traffic in 2012. In February 2013, Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima announced during his "State of the City" address that a 700-acre (280 ha) park in the area behind the Las Cruces Dam was under construction, in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers . The area features trails through restored wetlands and serves as a major refuge for migratory birds and
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