GALLUP — A manager at the Lariat Lodge was inspecting rooms after checkout time May 17, 2020. When he checked room 15 he found it was still occupied – by a deceased male.
Hitendrakumar Patel contacted police at about 10:30 in the morning after he made the gruesome discovery. Police arrived soon thereafter and immediately suspected foul play.
The victim, later identified as Alvin Adakai, 62 of Manuelito, was found on the floor between the two queen beds. His body was covered with bruises, cuts, and blood.
Detectives learned that Adakai had shared the room he rented with two others the night of May 16, before he was discovered dead.
Larrison Hunch, 44, of Mentmore purchased liquor on the afternoon of May 16 at a nearby grocery store with Adakai’s debit card and shared it with his girlfriend Kerry Norton, 55, of Crownpoint and occupants of other rooms at the motel who came to visit that evening.
According to a detective’s interview with Norton, the vibe of the party changed when Adakai, Hunch, and she decided to call it a night.
Hunch became angry with Adakai after he rolled out of the one of the beds a few times. Hunch allegedly kicked and punched Adakai very fiercely.
This caused immense damage to his ribs, and his neck had been fractured according to the autopsy report. After Adakai was down, Hunch allegedly removed cash and cards from Adakai’s pants pockets.
When police found Hunch, he was intoxicated and spontaneously uttered, “sometimes I get rowdy,” and “I’m sorry.”
Police waited until Hunch was sober to interview him. He denied harming Adakai. Detectives, however, had something they wanted to show Hunch. During the drinking party, Hunch allegedly admitted to “manhandling” Adakai on a cell phone video recorded by one of the attendees and retrieved by detectives.
Hunch then exercised his right to stop the questioning until his attorney could be present.
Hunch was arrested and charged with homicide, robbery, and tampering with evidence, all felonies. He was booked into the McKinley County Adult Detention Center on May 21, 2020.
