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July 27
1876 - 223-foot Soledad train tunnel completed; last tunnel on line linking L.A. & S.F. [story]
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[KHTS] – Jurors found Eric Edwards and Diamonte McGee guilty Thursday in the 2011 Halloween murder in Canyon Country.

Courtroom-Slider-1-1517-400x330The jury found Branden Higgs not guilty of one of the counts. On the other ten counts against Higgs, the judge declared a mistrial.

Two defendants will be back in court for sentencing in several months.

It is unknown at this time if the District Attorney will recharge Higgs.

Previous Story:

The “Halloween trio,” Diamonte Jerome McGhee, 20, Branden Trevaughn Higgs, 19, and Eric Michael Edwards, 19, were all under 18 when they were arrested on charges they were involved in the death of Alex Sanchez and wounded Ricardo Sandoval during a robbery gone awry Oct. 21, 2011.

The three suspects allegedly met with the victims over the purchase of a game system. The exact circumstances of the robbery is unknown, but there was reportedly a dispute.

McGhee produced a handgun and shot Sanchez in the chest and when Sandoval attempted to run away, McGhee shot him in the leg, according to a criminal complaint.

Edwards has been in custody since April 30, 2012, for the crime, Higgs has been in custody since Aug. 27, 2012, and McGhee has been in custody since Jan. 27, 2012.

While the murder charge comes with a possibility of the death penalty, District Attorney spokesperson Jane Robison said that the court will not seek the death penalty for anyone under the age of 18, even though they are being tried as adults.

The more serious charges are leveled at McGhee, for using the gun.

All three are being charged as adults, and being held without bail in Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles.

A memorial fund was established to help the victims.

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3 Comments

  1. LWOP is too good for these POS’s

  2. Dorene Tapp says:

    Even if they receive the death penalty, they would more than likely die of old age in prison, since California never executes any one any more .

  3. Bill says:

    Where is the electric chair when we need it

Leave a Comment


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