Manage Delivery
WICHITA — For the third time in four months, a jury didn't take long to find a defendant guilty in last summer's killing of a 13-year-old boy.
Jurors took only about an hour to find Eddie Laurel, 17, guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting of Miguel Angel Andrade Martinez. The jury announced it had a verdict just before 2 p.m. Monday in a trial that began last week.
Laurel, 16 at the time of the shooting, was ordered to stand trial as an adult. He will face life in prison when he returns Aug. 19 for sentencing before Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess.
Witnesses say Laurel and Eli Betancourt went to Miguel's house in the 2400 block of North Jackson around 6 a.m. on June 20, 2010. Miguel was shot 10 times through his front door.
Eli Betancourt and his older brother, Alejandro Betancourt, also were found guilty of first-degree murder in trials earlier this year. Alejandro Betancourt is serving a life sentence; Eli Betancourt is set for sentencing next month.
It took jurors less than an hour to find Alejandro Betancourt guilty and 82 minutes to return a verdict against Eli Betancourt. Both were found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder.
Laurel's attorney, John Sullivan, said in court filings that he planned to introduce testimony saying Laurel was at a relative's house during the shooting. But prosecutors called the two witnesses Laurel had said could verify his alibi, and their testimony conflicted on times.
A fourth person, Greg Patton, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is expected to get probation in exchange for testifying against the other three.
Patton said he was in the car as they went to Miguel's house. Alejandro Betancourt drove to the house, Patton said, and Laurel and Eli Betancourt went to the front porch with guns. Neighbors also described seeing two men on the porch of the house when the shooting erupted and gave descriptions to police.
Police stopped a Jeep Cherokee minutes later with the two Betancourts and Patton inside. Patton said they had dropped off Laurel at a house near 24th North and Park Place, just a couple of blocks from the shooting.
Other witnesses have testified that the shooting occurred in an attempt to avenge a gang-related fight three weeks earlier involving Daniel Betancourt, Alejandro and Eli's brother. Laurel and others mistakenly thought a man connected to the fight lived in the house, but he did not.
Miguel was not associated with any gangs, police have said, and he lived in the house with his mother and two younger brothers.
Prosecutors Trinity Muth and C.J. Rieg had argued that Laurel participated in the shooting to solidify his position in the North Side Gangsters because Daniel Betancourt was a leader in that group.
Laurel also was found guilty of criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling.
For the third time in four months, a jury didn't take long to find a defendant guilty in last summer's killing of a 13-year-old boy.
Jurors took little more than an hour to find Eddie Laurel, 17, guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting of Miguel Angel Andrade Martinez. The jury announced they had their verdict just before 2 p.m. today in a trial which began last week.
Laurel, 16, at the time of the shooting was ordered to stand trial as an adult. He will face life in prison when he returns Aug. 19 to face sentencing before Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess.
Witnesses say Laurel and Eli Betancourt went to Miguel's house in the 2400 block of North Jackson around 6 a.m. on June 20, 2010. Miguel was shot 10 times through his front door.
Eli Betancourt and his older brother Alejandro Betancourt were also found guilty of first-degree murder in trials earlier this year. Alejandro Betancourt is serving a life sentence; Eli Betancourt also is set for sentencing next month.
It took jurors less than an hour to find Alejandro Betancourt guilty and 82 minutes to return a verdict against Eli Betancourt.
All were found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder.
Laurel's attorney, John Sullivan, said in court filings that he planned to use an alibi, saying he was at a relative's house in Haven -- about 30 minutes from Wichita -- during the shooting. But the prosecutors called the two witnesses Laurel had said could verify his alibi, and their testimony conflicted on times.
Greg Patton pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and is expected to get probation in exchange for testifying against the other three.
Patton said he was in the car as they went to Miguel's house. Alejandro Betancourt drove to the house, Patton said Laurel and Eli Betancourt went to the front porch with guns. Neighbors also described seeing two men on the porch of the house when the shooting erupted and gave descriptions to police.
Police stopped a Jeep Cherokee minutes later with the two Betancourts and Patton inside. Patton said they had dropped off Laurel at a house near 24th and Park Place, just a couple of blocks from the shooting.
Other witnesses have testified that the shooting occurred in an attempt to avenge a gang-related fight three weeks earlier involving Daniel Betancourt, Alejandro and Eli's brother. Laurel and others mistakenly thought a man connected to the fight lived in the house. But he did not.
Miguel was not associated with any gangs, police have said, and he lived in the house with his mother and two younger brothers.
Prosecutors Trinity Muth and C.J. Rieg had argued that Laurel participated in the shooting to solidify his position in the North Side Gangsters, because Daniel Betancourt was a leader in that group.
After his arrest, Laurel told deputies in jail that he'd been admitted into the NSG's following the shooting and he continued to add tattoos of symbols of that set while awaiting trial.
Laurel also was found guilty of criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied dwelling.
