Opinion ID: 1912218
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: factual background guilt phase

Text: On January 22, 1986, Amador and Alfonso were found face down in Amador's apartment. They had been killed by multiple gunshot wounds to the head and neck, and Amador also had been shot once in the hip. A portable scale was found on the dining room table and traces of an unidentified white powder were found outside the front door. There were no signs of forced entry or ransacking; in fact, the apartment was described as immaculate. No murder weapon was ever found. In May 1986, Carlos Ribera contacted the Hialeah Police Department and, based upon information he provided, Pardo and Garcia were arrested. Ribera was the State's key witness at trial and he testified in detail about what Garcia had allegedly told him about the murders of Amador and Alfonso. Ribera testified that he first met Garcia in December 1985 at the video store where Ribera worked, and in January 1986, he started driving Garcia around. Ribera testified that some time in March 1986, Garcia called Ribera and told him that Garcia's uncle, the federal agent, wanted to see Ribera. When Ribera went to pick Garcia up, Garcia showed him some newspaper articles. Garcia told Ribera that the articles were about a guy named Mario that he had setup with a drug deal and that [Garcia and Pardo] ripped him off and that they killed him and that was all. Ribera also testified that when they went to Pardo's apartment, Garcia told Ribera the following story: what had occurred was a drug rip off. Garcia and Pardo had gone to Amador's apartment in the late evening to buy two kilograms of cocaine. They knocked on Amador's door and Amador answered. They went in and Amador guided them to the kitchen, where they sat down. Amador looked happy because he thought there was money in Pardo's briefcase. Amador went into another room and got the drugs and brought them back. Ribera further testified that Pardo, who was present while Garcia allegedly related these events, stated, Yea, that is when I opened the briefcase and I took out my gun. Ribera stated that Pardo took out his .22 Rugar and that Garcia also had a .22 Rugar. Garcia then showed Ribera the .22 Rugar, which was on the dresser, and he showed him how the silencer would clip on to the gun. Garcia told Ribera that he and Pardo put Amador and Alfonso on the floor and shot them. Garcia told Ribera that he was a hit man and a drug dealer. Ribera testified that his relationship with Garcia changed in late April and early May. Garcia was upset because his drug supplier had found out that he killed Amador, and therefore the supplier did not want to deal with him anymore. Ribera testified that Garcia then threatened Ribera, and that is when Ribera went to the police. Garcia has always maintained his innocence. One of his theories of defense was that Ribera, along with Pardo, had committed the murders in question. For example, on the State's direct examination of Ribera, he testified that Garcia showed him a driver's license that Garcia identified as Amador's and that Garcia and Pardo had used it to buy some guns. However, on cross-examination of Ribera, defense counsel pointed out that the fictitious address used on the paperwork to purchase firearms in which Amador's driver's license was used was very close to Ribera's childhood address. In addition to Ribera's testimony, the State also called certain witnesses who testified to Amador's mistrust of Garcia. John Hegarty, Sr. testified that he worked with Amador on a construction site and also had bought cocaine from him. Hegarty testified that Amador told Hegarty that Garcia had called Amador and wanted to make a deal with him for a kilogram of cocaine. Hegarty stated that he told Amador to be careful because he did not trust Garcia and that he might get ripped off by him. Hegarty also told Amador to make sure that he got help or back-up. Allen Lopez, another of Amador's co-workers, also testified at trial. Lopez testified that Amador told Lopez that a person named Rolly (Garcia's nickname) had been to his house to buy a kilogram of cocaine. According to Lopez, Amador stated that he wanted Lopez at his house because he did not want to be there alone due to the fact that he did not trust Garcia. Garcia attempted to introduce Pardo's sworn testimony from Pardo's own trial in which Pardo confessed to the murders, and explicitly denied that Garcia was involved in any of the murders. However, the trial court found that the testimony was inadmissible under the exception to the hearsay rule governing prior testimony. Garcia did not present any witnesses, nor did he testify himself. The jury returned a verdict of guilty on both counts of first-degree murder, robbery with a firearm, and unlawful possession of a firearm while engaged in a criminal offense.