Grayson County TXGenWeb

Hobbs Daily News - Sun
Sunday, December 15, 1963
pg. 1

STABB KILLS TEENAGER
Clovis (AP) - A 17-year-old Portales youth stabbed to death with one wound through the heart Friday night in a teenage gang fight.
Dead was Troy Neil Tamplen.
Clovis Police were questioning 4 youths in connection with the killing. One of the boys told police he had used a can opener in the fight.
Police said they were discounting the can opener making the fatal wound. Questioning continued in an effort to determine the cause of the fight in a dark alley.
Several boys were seen hurriedly leaving the fight scene in a station wagon. Police arrested the youths a few minutes later. One of the youths being questioned told police, "We were just having some fun."

Las Vegas Daily Optic
(East Las Vegas, New Mexico)
Monday, December 16, 1963
pg. 5

Troy Neil Tamplen, Portales, was fatally stabbed Friday night in a fight in Clovis.
A 17-year-old Melrose youth, Ruben Garcia, is being held by authorities in connection with the stabbing after he was given a series of lie detector tests in Roswell.
Three other Clovis teenagers are expected to be charged.

Alamogordo Daily News
(Alamogordo, New Mexico)
pg. 6

PORTALES YOUTH TO BE CHARGED IN CLOVIS SLAYING
Clovis (AP) - Charges were prepared today against Ruben Garcia, 17, Melrose, in the stabbing death of a 17-year-old Portales youth Friday night in Clovis.
District Attorney Ruben Nieves said he had not decided what charge he would bring against Garcia's companions who were present when Troy Neil Tamplen was stabbed.
Nieves said he would ask the district courg to try the four teen-agers as adults.
Held in Curry county jail with Garcia were Danny Pacheco, 17; Gene Sena, 16; and Frank Chavez, 17.
Curry County Sheriff Nelson Worley said Tamplen was knifed to death in the Clovis home of girls, the victim and three other Portales boys were visiting.

Clovis News Journal
(Clovis, New Mexico)
Tuesday, September 22, 1964
pg.10

AREA YOUTH DENIED PAROLE IN STABBING
Ruben Garcia, 17 year old Melrose youth convicted of voluntary manslaughter in December 1963 stabbing death of a Portales teenager, has been denied parole by the State Parole Board in Santa Fe.
Garcia was sentenced in January to 2 to 10 years in the fatal stabbing of Troy Neal Tamplen, 18, in a fight at a girl's home.
Garcia originally was charged with first-degree murder, but it was later reduced to voluntary manslaughter, to which the youth pled guilty.

Albuquerque Journal
(Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Sunday, September 19, 1964
pg. 26

...The board turned down parole for Ruben Garcia, 19, of Melrose, sentenced to 2 to 10 years in 1964 for the death of Troy Neal Tamplen, 18, of Portales, New Mexico. Tamplen was knifed in a fight at a girl's home. Garcia pleaded guilty to a charge of voluntary manslaughter....