ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque Police have made an arrest in a 2018 homicide case after tracking the suspect to Mexico. Uriah Smith, 36, was taken into custody in Juárez on July 15, 2025, as part of a multi-agency operation involving APD detectives, U.S. Marshals, and Mexican authorities.
The arrest stems from the murder of Donalda Shortman, who was found dead near Central and Dorado Drive SE in December 2018. The case went cold for several years until APD’s Criminal Investigation Division reopened it under a department-wide initiative called “Closed Case.”
In April 2025, detectives interviewed Smith’s former spouse, who disclosed that Smith had admitted to harming a woman the night of the murder. Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage from nearby fast food restaurants, which confirmed Smith was the only person who could have contacted the victim at the time.
Smith was located in Juárez and arrested without incident. He is currently being held at a federal facility in El Paso, Texas. He faces an open count of murder, along with additional felony charges for aggravated assault and false imprisonment.
APD Chief Harold Medina praised the collaboration between agencies, calling the arrest “a testament to the relentless pursuit of justice.”
