Murder 1 motion postpones sentencing for 5 men convicted in Junior trial

A motion filed in court Thursday by one of the defendants in the Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz murder trial has delayed sentencing for the five men convicted of the teen’s murder.

News 12 Staff

Jul 11, 2019, 12:44 PM

Updated 1,760 days ago

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A motion filed in court Thursday by one of the defendants in the Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz murder trial has delayed sentencing for the five men convicted of the teen’s murder.
Defense lawyer Toni Messina filed the motion on behalf of her client Manuel Rivera to dismiss the murder 1 verdict because she felt the torture element of that charge was not proven during the trial.
The convicted men were supposed to learn their fate on Tuesday, July 16. A new sentencing date has not been determined.
Legal analyst Chris Carrion says the filed motion was expected by the defense. He expects Bronx Supreme Court Judge Robert Neary to deny the motion and schedule sentencing for the end of the summer.
The prosecution will get time to respond to the motion before Judge Neary makes his decision.
News 12 has reported that Jose Muniz, Jonaiki Martinez Estrella, Elvin Garcia, Manuel Rivera and Antonio Santiago were found guilty of murder, conspiracy and gang assault. The five Trinitarios gang members were infamously captured on surveillance video dragging Junior, a 15-year-old from Belmont, out of a Bronx bodega last June and hacking him to death with knives and a machete.
 


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