Yahoo! News/E! Online By Julie Keller After a bizarre triple murder at his New Mexico ranch, Sam Donaldson has found himself on the other side of the news desk Donaldson discovered what authorities called an "obvious crime scene" Tuesday afternoon after returning to his property in Chavez Canyon and seeking out his ranch hand, Delbert "Paul" Posey. The veteran ABC newsman called authorities to the scene, and soon three bodies were discovered--the remains of Posey, his wife, Tryone Posey, and her daughter, Maralea Schmid--buried in a shallow grave. "Sam was very fond of all of them and was visibly shaken," Lincoln County Sheriff Tom Sullivan told the Associated Press. Posey's 14-year-old son Cody was later arrested and charged with three counts of murder and an additional charge of evidence tampering. Donaldson says he is shocked and saddened by the murders. "Jan [i.e. Mrs. Sam] and I are so very, very sorry about the loss of these fine people," Donaldson said in a statement. "We hired Paul Posey as our foreman on Oct. 1, 2001. He and Tryone--and for that matter, the two youngsters--worked as a team in an effort to make our ranch a successful operation." The statement continued: "Paul was a hard worker, familiar with all aspects of a livestock operation, honest and a person who cared about moral and ethical values. Tryone was equally honest, hard-working and a joy to be around. Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this family." Donaldson appeared Thursday on Good Morning America to discuss the murders, claiming he didn't notice any sort of trouble with the family, other than what he thought were usual strict father-vs.-teenage son battles. "Paul was a little hard on his son, but that's the way...you raise young men," Donaldson said. "I never saw Paul raise his voice or his hand in anger to his son. He clearly expected a lot of him." The murders apparently occurred over the Independence Day holiday weekend, when Donaldson and his wife were in Santa Fe. Donaldson said he became concerned about the family upon his return to the ranch. "We didn't see them Tuesday morning or Tuesday afternoon, so I went over--and on the porch was a large stain that was instantly recognizable," he told Albuquerque's KOB-TV. The crime rocked the usually sleepy New Mexico community, located in the south-central part of the state. "We've never seen a triple murder, and the circumstances of a juvenile committing a crime against family members hasn't been experienced here," District Attorney Scot Key told the Associated Press. According to Key, Cody Posey is currently in custody and will be tried a juvenile, though he could be punished as an adult if convicted. Posey could face anything from probation, if he is tried as a juvenile, to 30 years in prison, which is the adult sentence. An initial court appearance is scheduled for Friday. Donaldson, who has worked as a reporter for ABC News since 1967, owns three ranches in New Mexico.

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Fingerprints. DNA. Florecent Lights. Luminol. Vegas. Dead Bodies. Due process. Miami. $35K O.B.O. Alligators. Casinos. From the Grave. NY. Jury. Forensics. Modus Operandi. Mens Rea. Grand Murder at Central Station. CSI Board.

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