Obituary - Christine Kay Hitchcock

Christine Kay Hitchcock

Born: December 15, 1962 Died: November 4, 1978

A teen-age boy and his girlfriend were shot dead in front of the boy’s home Friday afternoon.

Less than an hour later, police arrested a suspect they said was an ex-boyfriend of the slain girl.

Pronounced dead at the scene were Tim Walker, 16, 1909 MacBeth NE, and Christine Hitchcock, 15, 1042 Marcella NE.

The boy’s mother, Evelyn Walker, who tried to run to the young couple’s aid during the rifle fire, was also shot, and listed in critical condition at Presbyterian Hospital Friday night.

Within an hour of the shooting police had located an orange sports car on I-25 at the San Felipe bridge, and arrested Wayne Robinson, 18, of 12429 Morrow NE.

Robinson was found hiding under the bridge, about 30 miles north of Albuquerque. He was booked on two counts of murder and one count of aggravated battery at the City-County Detention Center.

A 30.06 rifle was found in the car. Police said Robinson abandoned the car after it struck a bridge railing on I-25 near the San Felipe Pueblo.

Police Detective Sergeant Richard Ness said the shootings occurred about 2 p.m. Friday. Police arriving on the scene found Walker’s body lying in the middle of the street in front of the MacBeth address, and the girl’s body lying in the driveway. Both had been shot by a high-powered rifle.

Mrs. Walker was apparently shot when she emerged from her house. She then staggered back inside, where police found her, Ness said.

Walker was a student at Eldorado High School and the Hitchcock girl attended Manzano High, police said.

A 13-year-old witness, Mark Petrisak, who lives across the street from where the shootings occurred, said he heard two gunshots and then ran to his living room window where he saw a man in the street holding a rifle and standing near a small sports car.

“He (the gunman) was standing there with the car door open and then he just started shooting. He was standing about two feet from one of the bodies,” Petrisak said. He added he heard about five or six shots in all.

After police roped off the area, spectators began arriving, including Walker’s younger brother, Steve, who became emotional and had to be restrained by police from going to his dead brother’s side.

Police launched an intensive manhunt and had stopped several sports cars matching that used by the gunman when they received the report of the abandoned vehicle near San Felipe Pueblo.

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Christine Kay Hitchcock, 15, a lifelong resident of Albuquerque, died Friday afternoon.

She is survived by her mother, Patricia Hitchcock, of the home; her father, Leonard A. Hitchcock of Albuquerque; her sister, Cecelia A. Norman of Post, Texas; two brothers, Daniel J. Hitchcock of Albuquerque and Brian W. Hitchcock of the home; her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Callahan of Indianapolis and her grandmother, Dorothy Hitchcock of East Orange, New Jersey.

She was a sophomore at Manzano High School. She was active in sports and played softball with “Mile High Senior Spinners” softball team.

Rosary will be recited Monday at 7 p.m. in the Chapel in the Garden of French Mortuary, 1111 University NE, let by Father Carl Hammer.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 11401 Indian School Road NE, with Father Carl Hammer celebrant. Interment will follow in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, 1900 Edith NE.