The police confession of a young quadruple-murder suspect who allegedly admitted his participation in the execution-style killings was involuntary and should be tossed as evidence, according to a motion filed by his defense attorney.
The request is just one of the many pre-trial motions filed as the murder trial of Raul Campos, 20, formally began yesterday. Although prosecutors believe the request is simply a formality that will never be accepted by Judge Stephen Hall, the motion would have dire consequences if allowed. The confession is "the package," — the critical piece of evidence placing Campos in the San Bruno apartment where four men were found bound and shot, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Jury selection
Hall is expected to rule on all the motions in the next two weeks. Jury selection is scheduled for Nov. 29 with opening arguments in early December. By the time a panel is picked to weigh his fate, Campos will be inching near three years in custody for his alleged role in the Jan. 11, 2002 murders which shook San Bruno by their cold violence and nearly $250,000 in drugs found throughout the drug scene.
Four men are assumed responsible for the deaths of the four men in the Evergreen Ridge apartment but only Campos and Alfredo Valenzuela were ever arrested. Valenzuela, 24, was convicted on the same four counts of first-degree murder and robbery now faced by Campos.
If also found guilty, Campos will receive multiple life sentences for the deaths of Javier Vaca, 21, Jose Alberto Munoz-Lopez, 21, Emilio Alba-Flores, 20, and Roberto Ramos-Guerra, 18. District Attorney Jim Fox decided against seeking the death penalty in both cases.
Valenzuela and Campos were reportedly drug runners for Jorge "Chico" Hernandez, Giannini said. After fighting with Vaca over a drug debt, Hernandez enlisted Valenzuela, Campos and Lazaro Perez to drive from Los Angeles to San Bruno to collect.
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By the end of their visit to Vaca, the four victims were dead but $250,000 worth of cocaine was left hidden in the kitchen.
Escaped
The four suspects reportedly drove back to Southern California and parted company. Campos and Valenzuela were arrested within the month but the other two escaped. Perez remains at large and Hernandez was fatally shot in Mexico earlier this year.
During a police interview following his arrest, Campos, then 17, admitted participating in the killing but claimed they were not pre-meditated acts. No physical evidence tied Valenzuela or Campos directly to the scene.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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