Suspect charged in 33-year-old cold case to appear in court Friday

The Associated Press, Jonathan Fjeld

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A man charged with the 1988 killing of a UNM student will have his first court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

APD charged Paul Apocada, 53, with suspected murder after he confessed to killing Althea Oakley near CNM on June 22, 1988. Apocada was charged at the detention center where he had been held since last month on a probation violation.

Police planned to provide more details about the case during a Thursday news conference. However, the news conference was cancelled after four APD officers were injured in a shooting incident.

Thursday would have been Oakeley’s 55th birthday.