Socorro man sentenced to 273 years in prison

Kenneth Dunklee, 38, of Socorro was sentenced last week to 273 years in prison for sexual crimes against a child and incest.

State of New Mexico Prosecuting Attorney Stacey Ward requested a minimum of 60 years and a maximum of 200 years at the sentencing hearing on July 9 at the Seventh Judicial Court. The attorney claimed Dunklee showed no remorse, empathy, or responsibility in his actions.

“This man deserves a life sentence for what he did. He sentenced (the victim) to a life sentence with what he did. (They) will forever be scarred by this,” Ward said.

A statement was read on behalf of the victim’s family about the abuse they all suffered from Dunklee and about the impact it has had on the victim.

The victim also made an emotional impact statement about their experience.

“I have to admit that this is probably one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, cases I’ve ever had to defend,” Keith Valles, defense lawyer, said.

Valles said for sentencing, he looked at similar cases and said that at least there was no pregnancy, no physical violence, and no threatened violence.

“(The victim) is damaged emotionally and broken, and I understand, but so is Mr. Dunklee; he’s a damaged and broken individual,” Valles said.

Dunklee also addressed the court.

He said he’s been enrolled at Socorro Mental Health for four years, working on his issues; he claimed he was raped by a woman when he was a teenager and had episodes of disassociation.

“I don’t know exactly what the future holds. But as far as my children are concerned, my promise still remains I will protect my kids. No matter what they are in my heartbeat,” Dunklee said.

In response to Dunklee’s claims of being a protective father, Judge Murdock said, “If you knew what it was like, why in the world would you sit there and put the victim through that? That’s not protecting the victim. You can’t sit there and say you’re protecting your child, and you’re going to continue to protect the victim. That is not what you did at all.”

In the sentencing, Judge Shannon Murdock argued that this case was physically violent, and although it wasn’t a murder, the child’s life had been taken away. Murdock said she was also concerned about Duklee’s lack of remorse and evasive behavior with the evaluator.

In her final ruling, Judge Murdock gave Dunklee 15 years for each count of criminal charges to a minor and three years for each count of incest, adding up to 273 years.

Judge Murdock read the notice of the requirement to register as a convicted sex offender, and Dunklee refused to sign the document.

Forty-eight charges were originally filed against Dunklee in 2020. He was found guilty at his jury trial on February 5, 2024.