NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A federal death penalty case for a New Mexico defendant is on hold because of the U.S. government shutdown. A U.S. district court in Albuquerque temporarily halted the case against Labar Tsethlikai, who is accused of kidnapping, sexually abusing, and killing Native American homeless men between 2022 and 2024.

In halting the case, the judge cited the shutdown and a lack of funding for a specialized defense, since death penalty cases are especially costly to prepare. The judge wrote, "the right to a defense is one of the bedrock principles of this country..." and "the shutdown has unquestionably impeded defendant's right to counsel in this case."

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