Opinion ID: 4553375
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Romo Brothers’ Statements

Text: After he was arrested on federal narcotics charges in 2014, Johnny Romo began cooperating with federal authorities. The government later learned that Johnny and his brother Robbie were responsible for the murder of Anthony Benesh, and they arrested Johnny on murder charges in March 2017. Johnny 29 Case: 18-50793 Document: 00515516125 Page: 30 Date Filed: 08/05/2020 No. 18-50793 gave a lengthy statement confessing to his involvement in the murder and implicating his brother as the shooter. The government later recorded a conversation between Johnny and Robbie during which Johnny encouraged Robbie to cooperate with the government. Immediately after that conversation, Robbie confessed to his role as the shooter. Both of the Romo brothers testified at trial. During direct examination, they each implicated Pike and Portillo in Benesh’s murder. On cross examination, the defendants cast doubt upon the reliability of the Romos’ testimony, suggesting that the brothers were fabricating their stories in order to receive a benefit from the government. Appellants point to no improper use by the government of the Romo brothers’ prior consistent statements during direct examination. However, during cross-examination, both defendants asked the brothers about their confessions to law enforcement. During Portillo’s cross of Johnny, Johnny admitted that he provided information about Portillo’s involvement in the murder only after he communicated with Robbie. Pike’s counsel also used portions of Johnny’s conversation with the authorities during his cross examination, suggesting that Johnny had previously told the authorities that he did not intend to murder Benesh and only wanted to beat him up. During their cross of Robbie, the defendants used portions of Robbie’s recorded confession to argue that Robbie had previously told law enforcement that he did not go to Austin with the intent to kill Benesh, casting doubt on the consistency of his story. After Johnny testified, the district court granted the government’s request to introduce Johnny’s confession. The court held that this recorded statement was admissible as a prior consistent statement under Federal Rule of Evidence 801(d)(1)(B). The government introduced the video recording and the transcript of Johnny’s conversation with the agents during its direct 30 Case: 18-50793 Document: 00515516125 Page: 31 Date Filed: 08/05/2020 No. 18-50793 examination of Chad Lloyd, one of the agents involved in the investigation of the Benesh murder. Later, the court addressed the admissibility of Robbie’s statement and also found that it was admissible as a prior consistent statement. The statement was introduced during the government’s direct examination of Jeb Killian, another federal agent involved in the investigation.