Palm Springs quadruple murder re-trial: jury visits crime scenes

In the re-trial for Jose Larin Garcia, the man accused of murdering four people in Palm Springs nearly four years ago, the jury was brought on-location to the scene of the crimes Monday.

News Channel 3's cameras were denied by the judge to film witness testimony. Larin Garcia's first trial ended earlier this year with a deadlocked jury.

To begin the second week of the new trial, jurors loaded onto a bus from the Larson Justice Center in Indio to Palm Springs to view for themselves the area where the shootings happened.

Carlos Campos Rivera was found shot dead in the middle of Canon Drive. Jacob Montgomery, Yuliana Garcia and Juan Duarte Raya were found shot dead in a crashed Toyota Corolla blocks away, on the 3700 block of East Sunny Dunes Road.

Larin Garcia was found by police hiding under a nearby truck. He had some of the victims blood on his clothing and had taken off his jacket and shoes. He later fled from the hospital, shaved his head and attempted to get on a Greyhound bus to Florida under a fake name. He was arrested at a bus station in Indio.

Week 1

During opening statements, prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney Samantha Paixao asked the jury to hold Larin Garcia responsible for the four lives she said he stole.

Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan argued that another man, John Olvera, was responsible for the murders.

The jury heard from some of the first people on scene after the murders, including neighbors who saw the dead bodies and the police officer who first made contact with the suspect.

Good morning- we are in court once again for the re-trial of Jose Larin Garcia, the man accused of murdering four people in Palm Springs on Feb. 3, 2019.

Follow along in the thread below for updates. @KESQ

— Jake Ingrassia (@JakeKESQ) September 28, 2022