City sues company in traveling salesmen slaying case

The city of Albuquerque is suing a company that hired two traveling salesmen accused of killing an elderly couple and stealing their camera.

One of the two salesmen charged in the case was identified last week as Travis Rowley, a native of Glendora, who has had some run-ins with police in Orange County.

Here's a brief that appeared in the Santa Fe New Mexican this week:

Salesmen's company sued

ALBUQUERQUE — A Nevada company that employed two traveling magazine salesmen accused of killing an elderly Albuquerque couple this month is being sued by the city of Albuquerque.

The lawsuit accuses Integrity Program of not conducting background checks on the two men or otherwise doing an adequate job of ensuring they would not be a danger to the city. The city is seeking punitive damages and a restraining order that would prevent the company from doing business in Albuquerque.

"All we have to show is that (Integrity Program) violated our ordinance," said Assistant City Attorney Greg Wheeler.

Integrity Program did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

The company employed Travis Rowley, 23, and Michael Lee, 21, to sell magazine subscriptions in the Albuquerque area. The two men are charged with murder in the Dec. 4 deaths of Tak Yi, 79, and his wife, Pung Yi, 69. The couple was found beaten to death in their home.

Rowley and Lee remain in the Metropolitan Detention Center in lieu of $2 million cash bond each.