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Thread: Juan David Ortiz Sentenced to LWOP in 2018 TX Prostitute Slayings

  1. #51
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    Jury hears testimony of Ortiz's interrogation in capital murder case

    By Maria Salas
    Laredo Morning Times

    Webb County Sheriff's Office Captain Federico Calderon’s testimony continued on the third day of Juan David Ortiz’s capital murder trial in Bexar County.

    Calderon told the jury that after Ortiz was transported to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office substation on U.S. Highway 59, he was placed in an interrogation room.

    The interview began at 3:21 the morning of Sept. 15, 2018 and lasted until noon that same day, Calderon testified. Calderon told the jury that Ortiz was given breaks, water and was fed while being at the substation.

    At the start of the interrogation, Calderon testified that Ortiz was advised of his Miranda Rights and the right to terminate the interview whenever he wanted.

    “Mr. Ortiz did not articulate that he wanted an attorney present,” Calderon said. “He did not articulate that he did not want to speak with us.”

    Prosecutors questioned Calderon about Ortiz’s interrogation video where he talked to investigators about his life, military service and answered questions about Erika Peña and the women found dead in September 2018.

    Calderon said that Ortiz initially denied knowing Peña and stated that the only Erika he knew was from his high school in Brownsville. He talks about his life in San Antonio and how good he had it with his wife and children.

    “I came down here for a promotion, you guys already know all this,” Ortiz said in the video. “I work in the border intelligence center in the Laredo Sector Operation Center.”

    Ortiz goes on to tell investigators that after eight years active duty in the U.S. Navy and how he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and put on several different medications for anxiety, depression, irritability and anger, to help sleep and prevent nightmares, migraine headaches and high blood pressure.

    “The main reason I even began going to the VA is because in February 2018, my alcohol was out of control. I was drinking (too much),” Ortiz is heard telling investigators in the interview video.

    After numerous doctors’ appointments and different medications, Ortiz said that he felt his mental health decline.

    “I concealed it very, very well,” Ortiz said to investigators. “I had a great marriage. As far as work, I was very, very good at work. I was the best.”

    Ortiz’s interrogation was burned onto 12 CDs and prosecutors played the first two during Calderon’s testimony.

    Ortiz’s trial was moved to San Antonio from Webb County because of extensive media coverage in Laredo. Last month, Alaniz said his office will not seek the death penalty against Ortiz citing the victim’s families wishes.

    Now 39, Ortiz faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.

    Testimony continued Wednesday after press time in the Bexar County Court at Law No. 5 by state District Judge Oscar J. Hale, Jr., who presides over the 406th District Court in Webb County.

    https://www.lmtonline.com/local/arti...n-17622194.php
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  2. #52
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    Webb County prosecutor quits in middle of trial of former Border Patrol agent accused of murdering 4

    ‘Unprofessional and toxic work place’; Joshua Davila posts on Facebook amid resignation

    By Erica Hernandez
    KSAT News

    SAN ANTONIO – In a shocking turn of events, an associate district attorney with Webb County has quit in the middle of the capital murder trial of a former Border Patrol supervisor, Juan David Ortiz.

    Joshua Davila in a Facebook post said the following; “I have officially left the Webb County District Attorney’s Office. That is the most unprofessional and toxic workplace I’ve ever had to deal with. I do not recommend it. I’m sorry to anyone I let down.”

    Davila was in the courtroom for the first three days of the trial and on Wednesday even questioned witnesses on the stand.

    Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz’s office spokesperson told KSAT 12 they had no comment.

    He also mentioned that the resignation was due to an administrative issue and had nothing to do with the case.

    The Juan David Ortiz trial has been taking place in Bexar County after a change of venue was granted this past summer.

    Ortiz is accused of killing four women while he worked as a Border Patrol agent.

    If found guilty, Ortiz is facing up to life in prison without parole.

    https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022...f-murdering-4/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  3. #53
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    Day 5 of Juan David Ortiz capital murder trial

    By KGNS News Staff

    BEXAR COUNTY, TX. (KGNS) - On Friday, the jury heard from Ortiz himself on the last moments of the four women; Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Anne Luera, Griselda Cantu, and Jannelle Ortiz and what they told Ortiz before they were killed.

    It was emotional day in court for the family members of the victims to hear the final words of the four women.

    After hours’ worth of interrogation footage, Juan David Ortiz is heard confessing to the murders of Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Anne Luera, Griselda Cantu, and Jannelle Ortiz.

    In day 5 of the trial, Webb County Sheriff Captain Federico Calderon told jurors the contents of disk 7 of the interrogation, which contained details of the crime scenes.

    Calderon details that during the confession, it’s established that the murder weapon was a .40 caliber pistol that was given to Ortiz during his employment with Border Patrol.

    According to Calderon, three-gun casings were found at the crime scene of Melissa Ramirez, two in the case of Claudine Luera and in Griselda Cantu’s three casings.

    The casings were sent to the crime lab of Texas Department of Public Safety, to compare the characteristics of each casing and if they were fired from the same weapon.

    During the trial, images of Griselda Cantu and the injuries she sustained were shown to the jury. Officials say that Cantu’s body was discovered by a driver who was passing by the area.

    During the interrogation, Calderon told the jurors, Ortiz confessed about another murder which later turned out to be the discovery of Janelle Ortiz’ body on mile marker 15.

    Disk 7 was played for the jurors, which started with Ortiz telling the officers, “I was driving on San Ber and this is when the monster came out”, they are so dirty, they are prostituting out in the streets, why the [expletive] doesn’t anybody take out these [expletive]?” referring to the individuals who are identified as prostitutes in Laredo, Texas.

    In the video, Ortiz confessed to picking up a woman at the gas station and wanting to, “clean up the streets if nobody else is going to [expletive] do it.”

    Ortiz is heard trying to rationalize his actions by saying the women were “Not good people”.

    The woman he picked up was Claudine Luera.

    He told the officer they went to visit the place where Ramirez’ body was found, on the way Ortiz claims that Luera panicked and said, “You’re probably the killer” to which Ortiz responded, “Shut the [expletive] up.”

    Ortiz ordered Luera out of his truck and Ortiz states, “Then it was all over” and Luera, “Didn’t see it coming.”

    The next day, Ortiz picked up Erika Pena and mentions Melissa Ramirez.

    When Pena ran away, Ortiz went home and loaded several of his weapons with ammunition, left his house and then bought beer at the Murphy’s Gas Station on International.

    He told officers; he had a moment where he asked himself, “Why don’t I just keep cleaning up the streets?”

    Afterwards, he picked up another woman he didn’t know.

    She was later identified as Griselda Cantu.

    While driving north on I-35, Ortiz noticed several DPS troopers and figured an alert was put out.

    After noticing the law enforcement officer, Ortiz parked under a bridge where he told Cantu, “Walk that way and you’re in San Antonio, walk that way and you’re going to go to Laredo.”

    Cantu questioned Ortiz about letting her go, to which he responded, “I want you to relay a message, you know all these [expletive]murders that’s been on the news? I’m the one who did it.”

    Cantu told Ortiz, “Why? God loves you; God will forgive you, okay?”

    Ortiz said Cantu started to walk away but return which is when he allegedly shot her multiple times.

    In the midst of the alleged crimes, Ortiz, admitted that he contemplated suicide.

    He then confessed to another body that he picked up on San Bernardo.

    Ortiz said that he picked up a “Tranny”, identified as a Janelle Ortiz.

    After picking up Janelle Ortiz, Juan David Ortiz said that Janelle recognized him as the man accused of murder.

    Ortiz then took Janelle to mile marker 15 and killed her behind a pile of gravel.

    Ortiz said, “It took a few steps, shot him one time.”

    He later went on San Bernardo to a store and that’s when the two troopers confronted Ortiz, he said he fled towards a hotel and was “[expletive] that he didn’t have his weapon”.

    Ortiz finished his confession by telling officers the moments leading up to his arrest.

    In the footage, the officers thank Ortiz for confessing and offered him food.

    Calderon is asked if a warrant was obtained to search Ortiz’ home, to which he said he did. Pictures of the ammunition found inside Ortiz’s home were shown to jurors.

    The remainder of the interrogation video shows the moments after Ortiz’s confession. The officers are seen leaving the room; meanwhile, Ortiz remains quiet with his head down.

    Eventually food is brought in, and he’s seen calmly eating.

    Meanwhile in the courtroom, Ortiz’s mother was seen wiping away the tears.

    Later, Ortiz’s defense questioned Calderon’s training with the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. The report he wrote about the case and who oversaw the investigation to which Calderon answered he had 17 years with the office, and it was a joint investigation between law enforcement agencies.

    Ortiz’ attorney asked in depth of the report submitted about the investigation and interrogation. Calderon was asked about interrogating Ortiz, although Ortiz had stated his mental state was not well. The defense goes over Ortiz’s issues with the veteran’s affairs, medication prescribed, alcohol consumption and his experiences in Iraq.

    During the testimony, it’s revealed Ortiz’ father died by an apparent suicide.

    Ortiz’s request to be placed under isolation, pleas to help his wife are questioned and if it was used to sway Ortiz to confess.

    The words used by the officers during the interrogation was analyzed by attorneys.

    The defense questioned Calderon of conversations he had with Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz the day of Ortiz’s interrogation, to which Calderon said he did not remember word per word of it.

    Ortiz defense went over the evidence which included the seizure of Ortiz’s truck.

    Questions surrounding Ortiz’s memory recollection, Ortiz’s rights, and evidenced seized were once again brought up to Calderon.

    The state brought back Noe Gonzalez, one of the arresting officers in the Ortiz case. Gonzalez testified before jurors on day 2 of the trial.

    Gonzalez reiterated how Ortiz was arrested and the property that was seized.

    Judge Oscar Hale excused the jurors for the day, and the trial will continue Monday, December 5th at 8:30 a.m.

    https://www.ktre.com/2022/12/02/day-...-murder-trial/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

  4. #54
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    Jury finds former Border Patrol agent guilty of murders

    By KGNS News Staff

    LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - Update: The verdict is in and after nearly five hours of deliberation, seven days of testimony and four years, Juan David Ortiz has been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

    The former border patrol agent was accused in the murders of Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Anne Luera, Guiselda Hernandez Cantu and Janelle Ortiz.

    Kgns has a crew in San Antonio right now and we will bring you all of the latest developments.

    The start of closing arguments in the trial of Juan David Ortiz was delayed due to questions about the case.

    On Wednesday, the hearing began shortly after 12 p.m. despite being previously scheduled for 9 a.m.

    Presiding Judge Oscar Hale started the court by reading the jury instructions before the closing arguments.

    DA Assistant Karina Rios began the closing arguments by defining several terms in the jury instructions initially read to the jurors by Judge Hale.

    Rios continued by showing the jurors a timeline of the murders of Melissa Ramirez, Claudine Luera, Guiselda Hernandez aka Cantu and Janelle Ortiz.

    Rios continued by showing Ramirez’s, Luera’s and Ortiz’s cause of death by shooting; however, Cantu’s was by striking her with an unknown object and then a shooting.

    Rios continued by telling jurors the reasoning behind Ortiz’s action were said by Ortiz during the interrogation when he claimed he “was cleaning up the streets.”

    The state said Ortiz’s confession was done “freely” and “voluntarily”, it was also obtained “without promise, coercion, or intimidation.”

    Rio told the jurors to evaluate Ortiz’s interrogation with the officers, the search, and the testimony of Erika Pena the woman who said she escaped from Ortiz the night of his arrest.

    Meanwhile, one of Ortiz’s defense attorneys’, Raymond Fuchs, told jurors some of the evidence was “illegal” especially the search of Ortiz’s truck, the process of Ortiz interrogation and the search warrant.

    Ortiz’s second attorney, Joel Perez, reiterated on the amendments and on Ortiz’s rights.

    Perez addressed Ortiz’s mental health and the pills he was taking.

    District Attorney Isidro Alaniz countered and told jurors fought back the defense’s statement on the search and dismissed their claims saying it was illegal.

    Alaniz went through the final moments of all four women and at the end, the jurors were excused and now deliberations have begun in the case.

    https://www.kgns.tv/2022/12/07/closi...-murder-trial/
    "I realize this may sound harsh, but as a father and former lawman, I really don't care if it's by lethal injection, by the electric chair, firing squad, hanging, the guillotine or being fed to the lions."
    - Oklahoma Rep. Mike Christian

    "There are some people who just do not deserve to live,"
    - Rev. Richard Hawke

    “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”
    - Rowan Atkinson

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