Brians Colon News Today

Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies found the bodies of Diane Albert, 65, and Eric Pinkerton, 63, several dogs and a cat on Friday at their home.

A New Mexico municipal judge and her pets were killed in an apparent murder-suicide carried out by the judges husband just hours after a friend of the couples received a troubling message.

Authorities said a friend of the couple contacted the sheriff's office "after receiving a troubling message" from the husband.

A panel of lawmakers that weighs New Mexico’s court system between legislative sessions chose not to endorse a proposal to weaken the state’s sunshine law in order to protect judges from violence. But the lawmaker who objected to the bill suggested that work could still be done to convince transparency advocates that it would be a good change.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A municipal judge in New Mexico appears to have been fatally shot by her husband before he killed himself, authorities said. Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputies found the bodies of Diane Albert, 65, and Eric Pinkerton, 63, several dogs and a cat on Friday at their home in the Village of Los Ranchos, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jayme Fuller said.