Thread: OR-After 12 years, sentencing in Yamhill Co. murder

Aug 16, 3:25 PM EDT


After 12 years, sentencing in Yamhill Co. murder



McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) -- A Mexican native was sentenced this week to 25 years in prison for his role in a 12-year-old murder case.

Jose Rosendo Ortiz-Contreras asked Judge Cal Tichenor to deport him to Mexico instead of incarcerating him, saying that he did not participate in the murder of Hermilo Nilo Zapot-Coto of Newberg, who was bludgeoned, strangled, weighted down and dumped into the Willamette River in August of 1996.

But Tichenor was deaf to his plea. Under Oregon's sentencing guidelines, Ortiz will have to serve the full 25 years, after which he will be subject to deportation.

The case was retried this week after the original jury hung 11-one in favor of conviction. Murder charges require a unanimous verdict.

The new jury reached its unanimous verdict after three hours of deliberation on Friday, following 3 1/2 days of testimony.

At trial, Yamhill County Deputy District Attorney Ladd Wiles argued that Ortiz provided the rope used to strangle Zapot and tie a bag of rocks around his neck, and helped cover up the crime afterward.

Defense Attorney Ted Coran argued Ortiz was just along for the ride when his brother and cousin plied Zapot with alcohol, took him to a lonely spot, struck him over the head and killed him.

Ortiz did bring them a rope after his cousin threatened him, Coran said. And he did flee to Mexico the following week.

But the attorney claimed his client was guilty of nothing more than hindering prosecution, keeping the secret out of fear and giving confusing, misleading answers when questioned by police.

Ortiz was arrested in December after he returned to Newberg under an assumed name, carrying forged documents in the new identity.

Ortiz himself served as the sole witness for the defense, admitting to being on the scene of the murder, but saying he knew nothing about plans to kill Zapot, and that he had left the country quickly out of fear of his own relatives, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

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