Thread: Hillboro man convicted of murder

We all read about murders, this ine takes on significance as you will see from the highlighted in bold and blue lettering.

Jury convicts man in death of Aloha teen

Trial - The defendant is found guilty of all charges in the 2004 kidnap and killing of an 18-year-old

Saturday, September 30, 2006

HOLLY DANKS
The Oregonian

HILLSBORO -- Taking less than six hours to deliberate, a Washington County jury on Friday convicted a 27-year-old Banks man of aggravated murder for helping his father kidnap and kill the son of a man they say broke up their family.

The jury of nine women and three men unanimously found Petronilo Lopez Minjarez guilty of all charges in the killing of Darvin Lopez Jovel: six counts of aggravated murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of first-degree kidnap, one count of second-degree assault and two counts of first-degree burglary.

As the verdict was read, Lopez Minjarez showed no emotion and barely looked up from the defense table -- remaining much as he was through his seven-day trial.

According to testimony, Lopez Jovel's father was having an affair with Lopez Minjarez's mother -- a liaison the families learned of shortly before the killing.

At about 9 p.m. Nov. 20, 2004, both Lopez Minjarez and his father -- Petronilo Lopez Lopez -- were drunk as they drove to the Lopez Jovel house in the 17800 block of Pars Place in Aloha. Intending to confront the victim's father, they arrived to find 18-year-old Lopez Jovel alone.

"My dad was just completely out of control, blaming everything on him about the affair," Lopez Minjarez testified Wednesday.

"Did you do anything to stop your father?" asked public defender Robert Axford.

"No, I didn't do nothing, he was way too out of control to be stopped."

Lopez Jovel was shot in his house but was able to walk to Lopez Minjarez's pickup. His scattered remains were found 10 months later by bowhunters off a logging road northwest of Banks.

On Tuesday, jurors will start hearing testimony to decide whether Lopez Minjarez should be put to death, imprisoned for life without parole or be eligible for parole after 30 years.

Public defenders will put on witnesses to say that Lopez Minjarez was abused and dominated by his father, who sheriff's investigators say killed Lopez Jovel.

An aggravated murder warrant has been issued for Lopez Lopez, who fled to Mexico. The son's charges were based on him aiding and abetting his father.

"The least degree of concert or collusion is sufficient," prosecutor Jason Weiner told jurors.

From the witness stand, Lopez Minjarez maintained he was never in the victim's house and was hiding in a restroom at the North Plains McDonald's when his father left with the victim and came back alone about 40 minutes later.

Crucial to the case, however, was a neighbor who testified to seeing two men pulling Lopez Jovel into a truck. He called 9-1-1 at 9:26 p.m. with the pickup's license plate number.

When deputies arrived at his house about midnight, Lopez Minjarez cursed and yelled, "Just go ahead and shoot me, I'm not afraid of you white cops."

He had just gotten out of the shower, but investigators found the victim's blood on the inside sleeve of his flannel shirt, on his pants and throughout his pickup.

Holly Danks: 503-221-4377; hollydanks@news.oregonian.com



©2006 The Oregonian

25,001 ....We do so need to send these numders to our politicians...I had to ponder the number of Americans who have lost there lives...so I could really understand...
Judy and Nitty..brought this to my attention...

25,000...is a small town American City