New Mexico Supreme Court reinstates child abuse conviction for religious sect leader

KRQE News, New Mexico/April 21, 2025

By Jordan Honeycutt

Cibola County, New Mexico – The New Mexico Supreme Court reinstated the conviction of a religious sect leader’s role in a child’s death. Deborah Green, the self-proclaimed general of the Aggressive Christian Missionary Training Corps, pled no contest to child abuse in 2018, four years after a boy at the group’s compound died from an untreated illness.

She later challenged her 18-year sentence, claiming her innocence. In 2022, a district court judge sided with Green, saying while she failed to get medical care for the boy, the evidence did not support the first-degree felony charge. The state Supreme Court disagreed, saying Green did not provide any new evidence that she was innocent. At the same time, the justices ruled that people who take plea deals can challenge their imprisonment, not just those convicted by a jury.

KRQE News 13 reached out to the 13th Judicial District Attorney for their next steps in the case, but did not hear back. Green had also received a 72-year sentence for kidnapping, sexual abuse, and other crimes at the compound. Her conviction was vacated, and a new trial was ordered after prosecutors failed to disclose evidence to the defense.