An Arkansas man has been handed a life sentence for the murder of his wife, whose body was discovered near Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, south of Alamogordo, in 2024.
Shaun LeFleur, 57, was convicted by an Otero County jury on May 23 of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Authorities said he killed his wife, 67-year-old Nancy LeFleur, and attempted to hide her remains by burying her in a shallow grave.
According to New Mexico State Police, the case began on April 21, 2024, when a witness came forward after spotting LeFleur digging a grave. The man told investigators that LeFleur had confessed to shooting his wife after an argument, ordering her to kneel before firing three shots to her head with a .22 caliber handgun.
Police soon located the burial site near the state park and found Nancy’s body wrapped in a tarp. An autopsy confirmed her death was caused by multiple gunshot wounds to the head.
Investigators tracked LeFleur to the Cloudcroft area, where he was arrested and charged with murder and tampering with evidence. Prosecutors later revealed LeFleur had an extensive criminal history spanning 11 states, with outstanding warrants in four—including New Mexico. Though he was identified in court documents as a Louisiana man, he held an Arkansas driver’s license at the time of his arrest.
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The District Attorney’s Office reported that Shaun and Nancy LeFleur arrived in Otero County in late 2023. Prosecutors painted a picture of a fugitive on the run who had brought his wife into a dangerous lifestyle, leading to her tragic death.
Court records show that in September 2024, LeFleur was also convicted of battering Nancy during a 2023 incident. That ruling came months after her death had already occurred.
The murder trial lasted four days, ending with the jury’s guilty verdict. A third charge—possession of a firearm by a felon—was dismissed by prosecutors during the proceedings.
State District Judge John P. Sugg imposed the sentence, ordering LeFleur to serve the full term for tampering with evidence before beginning his life sentence. Based on that structure, LeFleur would not be eligible for parole until he is nearly 90 years old.
“You will die in the New Mexico Department of Corrections,” Judge Sugg reportedly told him during sentencing.
