Show Spotlights 2005 Hyde Murders

The case of John Hyde, who killed two police officers and three others in 2005, will get some time on the small screen this weekend.

The TV network Investigation Discovery will air the case as part of its “Fatal Encounters” series at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The series, now in its second season, shows the relationship between killer and victim as their paths intertwine and focuses on bizarre cases across the country. The Hyde episode is called “Not a Routine Call.”

	On TV “Fatal Encounters” will air at 7 p.m. Sunday. Check local listings for channel.

Crews were in Albuquerque during the summer of 2011 speaking with Albuquerque Police Department officials, as well as family members involved in the case, for the TV show. They spent about three weeks in the area gathering footage.

On Aug. 18, 2005, Hyde killed APD officers Michael King and Richard Smith at the corner of Ash and Gold SE. The officers had been sent to pick up Hyde for a mental health evaluation. He ambushed them from the bushes. Earlier in the day, Hyde had killed state employee Ben Lopez and motorcycle shop workers David Fisher and Garrett Iversen.

Local actor Philip Pickard was cast in the role of Smith for the TV show. He has lived in New Mexico for more than 30 years and says he was approached for the role.

He said most of the actors cast are from New Mexico.

“I was told the casting director thought I looked like Richard Smith, and they cast me,” he said. “I wanted to take this role because this is a case that still sticks out in the minds of Albuquerque residents.”

Pickard said he filmed for nearly two weeks and got plenty of help from APD officers.

“For the show, APD was gracious in providing a little training for me to properly pull off being an officer,” Pickard said. “I got to ride around with them and see firsthand what life is like being an officer. I also got some training on how to handle a gun.”

He said that while filming the show at around 2 a.m. one morning, the two APD officers who were on the set were dispatched to a call.

“At that point, it was amazing to see APD in action,” he recalled.

Since filming the show, Pickard said he’s continued to act and had a role in the film “Frank.” But his down time has been spent caring for his daughter, Lily, who was one of two La Cueva High School teens involved in a car crash in July.

The accident left Lily and her friend, Jessica Sanchez, in comas. The prognosis was grim, but the two teens are recovering.

“It’s all been a blur, and I’m happy that everything is getting better,” he says. “It’s been tough to go through, and it’s been great to get back into some acting. I was honored to portray an APD officer, and I hope we did a good job with the episode.”
— This article appeared on page C1 of the Albuquerque Journal