News

Man accused of killing mother pleads not guilty to charges

Published November 29, 2017 1:09 AM

UPDATE Tues. 10:05 a.m.:

Brian Conroy’s bail has been increased to $2 million due to enhanced allegations he is facing. The judge set the bail based on the sentence enhancing allegations Conroy was facing.

Prosecutors has argued for bail set at $5 million citing public safety concerns. Laura Garcia, attorney for Conroy, argued that bail remain at $1 million citing his lack of criminal history and support from his own family.

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“We don’t believe that Mr. Conroy is a flight risk,” Garcia said. “We don’t believe he is a danger to the community at this point and we’d requested normal bail. It was the prosecution that was requesting an excessive bail amount in this case of $5 million dollars.”

Garcia also casted doubt whether Conroy had made a confession or not as she said the police recordings had stopped when they questioned Conroy.

“The defense’s position is at this point, there’s no evidence that I believe of any confession that were made at this point,” she said. “I do believe at the end of this when the evidence does come out that Mr. Conroy will be exonerated in this case.”

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ORIGINAL:

The man accused in the Palm Springs shooting death of his mother, pleaded not guilty to murder during his arraignment on Monday.

Brian Conroy, 19, is charged with shooting his mother, Amber Lane, who was shot on Nov. 20 on the 4100 block of Calle San Antonio at 4:25 a.m. Lane died about two hours later at Desert Regional Medical Center. Conroy’s family declined to comment on the proceedings.

Read: Police arrest son of victim in fatal Palm Springs shooting

Prosecutors asked the judge to raise Conroy’s bail from $1 million to $5 million due to threat of public safety.

Read more about the mother and son

Bail amount will be decided at a hearing on Tuesday.

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Arraignment was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed after prosecutors said Conroy claimed “voices commanded” him to commit the killing.

Conroy was visibly emotional and was seen wiping tears from his face in the courtroom.

He is charged with murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation for discharging a firearm. He has no prior criminal record in Riverside County.

Read: Tribute event held for Amber Lane at Wang’s in the Desert

On Sunday night, Wang’s in the Desert held a tribute event for Amber Lane who worked at the restaurant along with her husband, David and her son, Brian.