Jury to begin deliberating in Larin Garcia quadruple murder trial
Closing arguments wrapped Wednesday in the murder trial for Jose Vladimir Larin Garcia, accused in four deadly shootings the night of Feb. 3, 2019 in Palm Springs.
After a rebuttal from the prosecution, closing arguments have wrapped and the case is now officially in the hands of the jury. Jury members are determining their schedule and we expect deliberations to start tomorrow.
— Jake Ingrassia (@JakeKESQ) February 23, 2022
Deputy District Attorney Samantha Paixao continued her final argument after delivering the first portion before the jury Tuesday.
"Ladies and gentleman, I am asking you to hold [Larin Garcia] accountable for the mass murder on Feb. 3, 2019," Paixao said.
Paixao talked about the combination of evidence that she said points to Larin Garcia's guilt, including three attempts at trying to flee after the murders.
First, she said Larin Garcia hid under a truck near the crime scene, taking off his shoes and jacket on a cold February night – which were covered in the victims' blood.
She showed the jury video of Larin Garcia running out of the hospital in the middle of the night, without having been discharged.
Finally, Paixao pointed to Larin Garcia shaving his head and trying to buy a one-way Greyhound bus ticket to Florida under the name "Joseph Brown."
Comparing conflicting blood spatter experts' analyses, the prosecution pulled apart the defense's experiments that purported to show someone else's involvement in the murders.
"It doesn't take a scientific expert to know that 1 percent milk with red dye is not the same as blood," Paixao told the jury.
Good morning, closing arguments are set to continue today in the Palm Springs quadruple murder trial for Jose Larin Garcia. Follow along with live updates in the thread below.
— Jake Ingrassia (@JakeKESQ) February 23, 2022
More background: https://t.co/voXtnQNCoW
In an undercover operation with law enforcement posing as inmates inside Larin Garcia's jail cell, Larin Garcia said the Spanish word "Fregada," which translates to an expletive.
"'F***ed,' right?" Paixao said. "Because that's what he was. He tried to get away, but he got caught.
Criminal defense attorney John Dolan gave his closing argument too, trying to convince the jury that another man – John Olvera – is the real killer. Olvera testified during the trial he was not involved.
"The proof is not here. The People allege four murders and they have not proved it," Dolan said. "Mr. Olvera is guilty of these crimes. He's the person who did it; he took responsibility in his statements."
Responding to claims that Larin Garcia was fleeing, Dolan said he was – from the real murderer. "How does a big guy like that get under a truck? You have to take off your jacket, take off your shoes," he said.
Dolan asserted Larin Garcia was framed by police with a bullet casing in his Honda Civic trunk that matched those found at the crime scene, and urged the jury not to make the wrong call. "Do not convict an innocent person," he said.
BACKGROUND:
Jose Larin Garcia, a Cathedral City man, is accused of killing four people (ages 17-25): Carlos Campos, Jacob Montgomery, Yuliana Garcia and Juan Duarte Raya nearly three years ago.
The four victims were all found shot and killed on the night of February 3rd, 2019.
Three of the victims were found inside a car that crashed at Sunny Dunes and El Placer roads. The fourth victim was discovered in the street on Canon Dr. few blocks away.
When police arrived on scene, they found Larin Garcia hiding under a truck. They say he appeared intoxicated and covered in blood.
Larin Garcia was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment. Security footage shows him running away from the property later that night.
Detectives have testified he then went to a friend’s house who he had buy him a one-way bus ticket to Florida using a fake name. Prosecutors say he was preparing to flee – shaving his head and beard to change his appearance. He was arrested waiting at the bus stop.
Larin Garcia is charged with four counts of murder. He also faces a special-circumstance allegation of committing multiple murders, opening him to the death penalty if convicted.
WEEK 7 IN COURT:
The prosecution and defense rested their cases. A blood stain pattern interpreter testifying for the prosecution said the defense's counterpart expert was, at times, "misleading the jury."
The defense expert disputed a prosecution blood spatter report asserting Larin Garcia was the only other person in the car where the victims were shot.
He said he substituted milk for blood in his own reconstructions of the shootings, but said it proved another person, the real killer, could have been in the car.
WEEK 6 IN COURT:
In the sixth week, a DNA expert testified about blood found on key pieces of evidence like the like the crashed Toyota Corolla and a black jacket and pair of shoes that Jose Larin Garcia stripped off.
A blood stain pattern interpreter said he believes there were only two people in the back seat of the crashed Toyota Corolla, dismantling a crucial part of the defense's argument.
The interpreter also calculated where the victims were when they got shot using blood stain pattern analysis.
A detective testified about ammunition he found in a search of the suspect's bedroom that is similar to what was discovered at the murder scene.
WEEK 5 IN COURT:
During the fifth week, the defense worked to prove that Larin Garcia was framed. A forensic investigator testified she didn't plant evidence, but some errors could have been made in the processing of evidence.
A Coroner's office forensic pathologist revealed autopsies for two of the victims found multiple gunshot wounds to the head as the causes of death.
A PSPD investigator testified he didn't plant a bullet casing in the suspect's trunk to frame him.
An undercover agent who posed as an inmate in Larin Garcia's jail cell after the murders testified the suspect told him he was "screwed."
WEEK 4 IN COURT:
In the fourth week, there was an intense debate over whether Jose Larin Garcia fled the hospital following the February 2019 killings.
Jurors heard from key forensic experts: a crime scene technician, a fingerprint examiner and a blood expert.
Crucial testimony was set up from undercover agents who posed as inmates and spoke with the defendant at length after the crimes.
WEEK 3 IN COURT:
The third week in this trial, jurors heard from John Olvera, the 18-year-old who the defense argues is actually responsible. Police investigated posts on his social media accounts that appeared to take credit for the murders, but Olvera testified in several instances he was publishing rap lyrics or "fronting" as a "wannabe gangster."
Department of Justice forensics specialist Nancy McCombs testified and said the multiple bullet casings that were recovered could have come from the same gun. No weapon was ever found in the investigation.
Prosecutors poked holes in testimony from one witness who changed his previous account on the stand, and Palm Springs police investigators testified about the evidence collected from the scene.
WEEK 2 IN COURT:
During the second week in court, the jury heard from Larin Garcia's mother, who says she received a call from her son on the night of the murders.
Two police officers who responded on the night of the murders also took the stand. One testified he saw a 'tall, thin' figure running near one of the crime scenes, but that person was never found or brought in for questioning. Larin-Garcia is not described as tall or thin. The court also heard from a family friend of Larin Garcia who helped him buy a one-way ticket to Florida the day after the murders. Larin Garcia was arrested before he could depart.
The court also heard from several witnesses including a neighbor, police detective and former friend of the accused. The friend shared that Larin Garcia had said he wanted to rob one of the victims prior to the killings.
WEEK 1 IN COURT:
During the first week in court, the prosecution delivered their opening statement. The defense then delivered their opening statement, arguing another man, John Olvera, is responsible for the four deaths.
Several witnesses were called to the stand, including a Palm Springs Police Department Dispatch Supervisor, several neighbors who heard gunshots or saw the victims' bodies, and individuals who knew the victims personally. The court also learned that 17-year-old victim Yuliana Garcia was pregnant at the time of her death.
