AG Balderas Keeps Serial Murderer Clifton Bloomfield in Prison

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 25, 2017

Contact: James Hallinan (505) 660-2216

Albuquerque, NM – In December 2016, the office of Attorney General Hector Balderas appeared before Judge Benjamin Chavez to argue to keep five-time convicted murderer Clifton Bloomfield in prison for the rest of his life. Today, Attorney General Balderas announced that Judge Chavez agreed with the Office of the Attorney General by denying Bloomfield’s attempt to get out of prison. Bloomfield, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to murdering five people in New Mexico, filed a writ of habeas corpus to withdraw his guilty plea. The Office of the Attorney General Criminal Appeals Division argued to the court in December that Clifton Bloomfield’s petition for writ of habeas corpus should be dismissed on the pleadings, without an evidentiary hearing, because Bloomfield’s claims are refuted by the record, including the transcripts of the plea and sentencing hearings.

“Serial murderer Clifton Bloomfield terrorized New Mexico families with his horrific crimes and now thanks to the work of our office, he will remain in prison for the rest of his life,” said Attorney General Balderas. “My office will continue to do everything in its power to keep violent offenders like Clifton Bloomfield behind bars in order to protect New Mexicans. The Office of the Attorney General is focused on working with local law enforcement and district attorneys to accomplish this mission.”

Clifton Bloomfield admitted to murdering the following individuals:

The Oct. 24, 2005, killing of Carlos Esquibel, 37
The Oct. 27, 2005, murder of Josephine Selvage, 81
The Dec. 4, 2007, murders of Tak and Pung Yi
The June 28, 2008, killing of Scott Pierce, 40

Please see attached for a photo of Bloomfield and the Judge Chavez’s order.

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