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| Final defendant sentenced to 100 years for graduation eve double murder in Montgomery County | Final defendant sentenced to 100 years for graduation eve double murder in Montgomery County |
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| The fourth and final defendant accused of gunning down two Maryland teenagers on the eve of their high school graduation was sentenced to 100 years in prison Friday, concluding a long-running case that the presiding judge has said sent “a shock wave” through Montgomery County. | The fourth and final defendant accused of gunning down two Maryland teenagers on the eve of their high school graduation was sentenced to 100 years in prison Friday, concluding a long-running case that the presiding judge has said sent “a shock wave” through Montgomery County. |
| Roger Garcia, 22, showed little emotion as Circuit Judge David Boynton imposed the term. | Roger Garcia, 22, showed little emotion as Circuit Judge David Boynton imposed the term. |
| “They massacred two boys,” said Boynton, adding that Garcia played a key role in the murders by using social media to draw the teens into an ambush. “He’s the one that set up this lure.” | “They massacred two boys,” said Boynton, adding that Garcia played a key role in the murders by using social media to draw the teens into an ambush. “He’s the one that set up this lure.” |
| Under Maryland rules, Garcia will be eligible for possible release in about 50 years. | Under Maryland rules, Garcia will be eligible for possible release in about 50 years. |
| Garcia and the three others used Snapchat to feign interest in buying an extra graduation ceremony ticket that one of the victims, Shadi Najjar, 17, was looking to sell on the night of June 5, 2017. | Garcia and the three others used Snapchat to feign interest in buying an extra graduation ceremony ticket that one of the victims, Shadi Najjar, 17, was looking to sell on the night of June 5, 2017. |
| Najjar followed Garcia’s guidance to Gallery Court, a darkened cul-de-sac in Montgomery Village, pulling over along the street with his friend, Artem Ziberov, 18, in the passenger seat. | Najjar followed Garcia’s guidance to Gallery Court, a darkened cul-de-sac in Montgomery Village, pulling over along the street with his friend, Artem Ziberov, 18, in the passenger seat. |
| The gunmen, inside their own car, eased by the Honda unnoticed, according to court proceedings, before driving to the end of the cul-de-sac and circling back up to the Honda before getting out. | The gunmen, inside their own car, eased by the Honda unnoticed, according to court proceedings, before driving to the end of the cul-de-sac and circling back up to the Honda before getting out. |
| They fired at least 30 gunshots at the teens in seven seconds — the sounds recorded by a nearby residential alarm system that was played in the trials. | They fired at least 30 gunshots at the teens in seven seconds — the sounds recorded by a nearby residential alarm system that was played in the trials. |
| “Shock and awe is sort of the term that comes to mind,” Boynton said Friday. “It was completely quiet and silent and all of the sudden these shots rang out. It sounded like you were in a war zone.” | “Shock and awe is sort of the term that comes to mind,” Boynton said Friday. “It was completely quiet and silent and all of the sudden these shots rang out. It sounded like you were in a war zone.” |
| The three others in the case — Jose Canales-Yanez, 28, Rony Galicia, 27, and Edgar Garcia-Gaona, 26 — had been convicted on counts of conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder and gun offenses. They were also convicted of robbery, the final charge for stealing Najjar’s phone after shooting him. Boynton sentenced each of them to three life sentences and ordered that they never have a chance at parole. | |
| In Garcia’s trial last month, he was acquitted of conspiracy and first-degree murder, an indication that jurors had doubts he planned the crimes or he ever formed the premeditated mind-set to commit them. Garcia also was acquitted of robbery. He was convicted of two counts of a lesser form of homicide — second-degree murder — and two gun counts. | |
| His verdict exposed Garcia to a maximum of 100 years in prison. State sentencing guidelines, which are not binding, called for 40 to 70 years. | His verdict exposed Garcia to a maximum of 100 years in prison. State sentencing guidelines, which are not binding, called for 40 to 70 years. |
| In court filings this week, Garcia’s attorney, John Sharifi, requested a sentence close to 40 years for Garcia. “He was the least culpable of the four,” Sharifi wrote. | In court filings this week, Garcia’s attorney, John Sharifi, requested a sentence close to 40 years for Garcia. “He was the least culpable of the four,” Sharifi wrote. |
| In filings of their own, prosecutors had asked for the maximum of 100 years. “Devoid of empathy and a conscience,” was how Montgomery County prosecutors Marybeth Ayres and Jessica Hall described Garcia. “No rehabilitation can undo these deficiencies.” | In filings of their own, prosecutors had asked for the maximum of 100 years. “Devoid of empathy and a conscience,” was how Montgomery County prosecutors Marybeth Ayres and Jessica Hall described Garcia. “No rehabilitation can undo these deficiencies.” |
| ‘Gotcha’ vs. ‘gotchu’: How social media shorthand became key evidence in a double-murder trial | ‘Gotcha’ vs. ‘gotchu’: How social media shorthand became key evidence in a double-murder trial |
| The motive for the murder, according to evidence in the trials, dated back to December 2016. | The motive for the murder, according to evidence in the trials, dated back to December 2016. |
| Najjar had arranged to purchase marijuana from a woman who happened to be the wife of Canales-Yanez, according to prosecutors. Rather than buy it, Najjar had snatched it without paying and driven over the woman’s foot as he fled, prosecutors said. She was not seriously injured, but the incident enraged Canales-Yanez, prosecutors said. He wanted to retaliate, according to court proceedings, and took his time doing so. | Najjar had arranged to purchase marijuana from a woman who happened to be the wife of Canales-Yanez, according to prosecutors. Rather than buy it, Najjar had snatched it without paying and driven over the woman’s foot as he fled, prosecutors said. She was not seriously injured, but the incident enraged Canales-Yanez, prosecutors said. He wanted to retaliate, according to court proceedings, and took his time doing so. |
| One of his methods: asking his friend, Garcia, to connect to Najjar via Snapchat to monitor his activities. | One of his methods: asking his friend, Garcia, to connect to Najjar via Snapchat to monitor his activities. |
| The night of the shooting, Garcia saw Najjar’s posting selling the ticket. Garcia sent a text, flagging Canales-Yanez, according to prosecutors. Suddenly, Canales-Yanez had his chance. | The night of the shooting, Garcia saw Najjar’s posting selling the ticket. Garcia sent a text, flagging Canales-Yanez, according to prosecutors. Suddenly, Canales-Yanez had his chance. |
| All four defendants were soon inside a mobile home where Garcia lived. But it was Garcia, prosecutors asserted, who used his Snapchat connection with Najjar to send messages feigning interest in buying the ticket. | All four defendants were soon inside a mobile home where Garcia lived. But it was Garcia, prosecutors asserted, who used his Snapchat connection with Najjar to send messages feigning interest in buying the ticket. |
| ‘To us, it’s justice’: Parents of teens killed on graduation eve speak after latest verdicts | ‘To us, it’s justice’: Parents of teens killed on graduation eve speak after latest verdicts |
| There was no evidence at any of the trials linking Ziberov to the earlier botched marijuana sale. | There was no evidence at any of the trials linking Ziberov to the earlier botched marijuana sale. |
| After drawing the teens to the neighborhood for the ambush, prosecutors said, the killers unexpectedly saw Najjar had a passenger. The men kept driving around the cul-de-sac, prosecutors asserted, and decided to kill both occupants in the Honda — Najjar for the revenge, his passenger to silence any potential witness. | After drawing the teens to the neighborhood for the ambush, prosecutors said, the killers unexpectedly saw Najjar had a passenger. The men kept driving around the cul-de-sac, prosecutors asserted, and decided to kill both occupants in the Honda — Najjar for the revenge, his passenger to silence any potential witness. |
| Garcia’s attorney, Sharifi, had acknowledged Garcia was in the trailer with the others the night of the murder. But during the trial, he argued that Garcia never left the trailer and there were only three shooters. | Garcia’s attorney, Sharifi, had acknowledged Garcia was in the trailer with the others the night of the murder. But during the trial, he argued that Garcia never left the trailer and there were only three shooters. |
| In court Friday, Boynton said it was clear to him that Garcia and the other three all went to Gallery Court and all fired guns at the victims. | In court Friday, Boynton said it was clear to him that Garcia and the other three all went to Gallery Court and all fired guns at the victims. |
| “There is no doubt from the circumstantial evidence in this case,” the judge said, “that there was four shooters at the scene of this crime and that Roger Garcia was one of them.” | “There is no doubt from the circumstantial evidence in this case,” the judge said, “that there was four shooters at the scene of this crime and that Roger Garcia was one of them.” |
| He deplored the killers’ motive — revenge over a “fistful of marijuana.” | He deplored the killers’ motive — revenge over a “fistful of marijuana.” |
| “You can’t even measure,” Boynton said, “how inconsequential the event was in December of 2016 that would cause this kind of retaliation.” | “You can’t even measure,” Boynton said, “how inconsequential the event was in December of 2016 that would cause this kind of retaliation.” |
| Killings in District reach decade high as leaders struggle to reduce gun violence | Killings in District reach decade high as leaders struggle to reduce gun violence |
| ‘We believe they were targeted.’ New details in double murder of teens in Maryland | ‘We believe they were targeted.’ New details in double murder of teens in Maryland |
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