Man Admits Murdering Landlord After 14 Years: 'I Don't Have an Excuse'

A man in Roswell, New Mexico, has confessed to murdering his landlord in 2008 after saying he was racked with guilt, according to police.

Roswell Police Department issued a press release about the confession of 37-year-old Tony Ray Peralta in early May, and have since released bodycam footage of police interactions with the suspected murderer. Nearly an hour of footage was made public following a request filed by The Associated Press.

During his confession, Peralta told police where they would be able to find the body of the missing landlord. Police were able to use dental records to confirm that the body they found was William Blodgett, who was 69 when he died.

According to a report, Blodgett had been missing since December 23, 2008 and was last seen in Roswell.

Speaking to police, Peralta said his family was one of the reasons he wanted to confess. He said: "They don't... you know, nothing happens to them. It was my fault for my sin, you know?"

Speaking about Blodgett he added: "He was always good to me. And I took his life for no reason. And I don't have an excuse."

The newly released footage, shared on New Mexico news outlet KRQE's YouTube channel, shows multiple interactions Peralta has with police on the afternoon of May 1, 2023. Bodycam footage shows an officer meeting Peralta on a sidewalk in Roswell on the day, after he called the authorities to confess to killing someone.

Peralta said: "I'm just tired of covering it up. I'm tired of living with my lie, sir," he is heard to say.

Peralta is asked to take officers to the location where he claims he buried Blodgett's body and complies. At one point he puts his hands behind his back to be handcuffed and thanks the officers for coming to meet him.

Peralta is then taken to a Roswell police station, where he is taken to an interview room and gives more details of his alleged crimes.

He said he killed Blodgett because he was "on meth really bad and because he wouldn't give me no money. I buried him in his house."

Peralta then took officers to the home of Blodgett, where the two men had lived at the time of Blodgett's disappearance.

According to the police press release: "[Blodgett's body] had been buried inside an attached room on the west side of the house.

"Plywood floorboards were removed and excavation was begun, resulting in the discovery of the buried human remains, including many bones and a set of dentures. The dentures were compared with Blodgett's dental records, which had been obtained in 2009[...].

"That comparison, along with other information gathered during the investigation, led investigators to believe the remains were that of Blodgett."

Peralta was arraigned on Tuesday and charged with first-degree murder, according to a KMOV 4 report,

Despite his on-camera confessions, he pled not guilty to the charge through his public defender, Ray Conley. The attorney said he will do his best to ensure Peralta's due process is respected as the case goes to court.

Newsweek has contacted the Roswell Police Department via email and Ray Conley via Facebook for comment.