MURDERER OF ROOMMATE GETS 40 YEARS.Byline: Karen Karen Any member of a variety of tribal peoples of southern Myanmar (Burma). Constituting the second largest minority in Myanmar, the Karen are not a unitary group in any ethnic sense, as they differ among themselves linguistically, religiously, and economically. Maeshiro Staff Writer LANCASTER Lancaster, city, England Lancaster (lăng`kəstər), city (1991 pop. 43,902) and district, county seat of Lancashire, NW England, on the Lune River. - A Lancaster man convicted of shooting a housemate house·mate n. One who shares a house with another. Noun 1. housemate - someone who resides in the same house with you to death after the two returned home from work was sentenced Monday Monday: see week. to 40 years to life in prison. Edwin Gonzalez, 31, was convicted of second-degree murder on charges he pulled out a gun and shot 39-year-old Leonard Garcia in November 2001. The two men worked together at a cabinet-making shop, and the victim and his wife were renting living space from the defendant and his wife, officials said. Prosecutors said there appeared to be friction in the household and a disagreement prior to the shooting over everyday household things, such as bills. The victim was due to move out the following day, prosecutors said. Gonzalez was convicted of second-degree murder in April. Prosecutors had sought a conviction of first-degree murder. The defendant's first trial ended in a mistrial A courtroom trial that has been terminated prior to its normal conclusion. A mistrial has no legal effect and is considered an invalid or nugatory trial. It differs from a "new trial," which recognizes that a trial was completed but was set aside so that the issues could be after a jury hung 10-2 in favor of upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of. See also: favor guilty. Gonzalez had told authorities that he and the victim had an argument on their way home from work and that he shot the victim after Garcia took a swing at him and appeared to be reaching for a knife in his belt. But prosecutors said there was a question of whether a fight preceded the shooting and there was no evidence that the victim had a knife. Garcia was shot once in the chest about 10 p.m. Nov. 29 at a house shared by the defendant and the victim and their wives in the 45000 block of Logue Court. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Gonzalez was arrested at the home without incident and taken to the Lancaster sheriff's station's jail. Neighbors said the pair had had fights in the past. Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744 karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com |
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