Detective in Arizona Rancher's Murder Trial Testifies That Key Witness Interview Was Partly Recorded

By Allan Stein
April 12, 2024



Defense lawyer Kathy Lowthorp (R) examines the bloody jacket of homicide victim Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea as Santa Cruz County Detective Jorge Ainza (L) watches in the Superior Court in Nogales, Ariz., on April 11, 2024. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)



NOGALES, Ariz.—A detective in the George Alan Kelly murder case testified at the trial that an interview with the sole eyewitness to the fatal shooting of an illegal immigrant in Arizona was partially recorded in an empty hotel lounge in Mexico.

On April 11, the 12th day of the trial, defense co-counsel Brenna Larkin asked the prosecution witness, “Why did you go into Mexico to interview him?”

Detective Mario Barba of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division replied it was because the witness “couldn’t cross into the United States legally. ” He also didn’t have a phone or a computer.

“You could have spoken to Mexican officials to arrange something? Correct?” Ms. Larkin asked.

“Correct,” the detective responded.

“And you didn’t do that. Did you?,” Ms. Larkin said.

“No,” the detective replied.

More:
https://www.ntd.com/arizona-rancher-murder-detective-testifies-interview-with-key-witness-was-partly-recorded_985652.html