Man sentenced to 15 years in 2022 shooting death off Central Avenue

A judge on Friday sentenced Dakota Cox to 15 years in prison in the 2022 shooting death of a man in an alley behind a Central Avenue motel.

Cox, 29, pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and conspiracy in the June 15, 2022, killing of 37-year-old Joshua Beeman. Second Judicial District Judge Clara Moran presided.

Court records filed at the time of Cox’s arrest indicated that he may have been working as a confidential informant for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration at the time that he killed Beeman.

Albuquerque police alleged that Cox and a second man chased Beeman through an alley with guns in the moments before he was fatally shot, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Cox was seeking revenge on Beeman, who beat and robbed Cox on June 14 at a motel in the 600 block of Paisano NE, the complaint said. That day, Cox called 911 and reported that a man had grabbed Cox’s pistol out of its holster and struck him over the head, then stole his wallet, it said.

In the hours before Beeman was killed , Cox exchanged a series of text messages with a DEA agent threatening to “quit the cops,” and stating his intention to kill Beeman, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

“I quit,” Cox texted the agent the morning of Beeman’s killing. “Working for you they just tried killing me for being a rat.”

After the agent encouraged Cox to “do your paperwork,” apparently in connection with an investigation, Cox responded, “Not until I handle this dude period.”

Police alleged that Cox fatally shot Beeman about 8 p.m. that evening behind the Lazy H Motel in the 5600 block of Central NE, where Beeman was staying at the time.

A witness told police that Beeman had exited the motel when he was approached by gunmen, the complaint said. Somebody yelled, “There’s Beeman,” and began shooting, it said. Beeman died at the scene.

Cox’s co-defendant, Antonio Cordova, was convicted Aug. 2 of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, court records show. Cox’s plea and disposition agreement is sealed and unavailable for public inspection.