A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Nevada handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old man in Newport Seaside – Orange County Register appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman was convicted Tuesday of killing an 81-year-old man who was strangled six years ago in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home.

An Orange County Superior Court jury found Anthony Thomas Garcia, 62, guilty of first degree murder for the April 11, 2015 slaying of Abelardo Lopez Estacion.

The jury, however, found the killing was not carried out for financial gain. Such a determination would have made it a special circumstances murder, which would have led to a likely sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

The conviction comes less than a year after another jury was unable to reach a verdict, leading to a mistrial and a second trial. The second trial was delayed several times mid-testimony after Garcia was placed in temporary quarantine due to being exposed to other jail inmates who tested positive for COVID-19.

The killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife. Garcia was the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter, and two of Garcia’s daughters were Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

At the beginning of Garcia’s latest trial, Deputy District Attorney Seton Hunt told jurors that the case was about “family, greed, hatred and deception.”

Lamb – a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa – had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, but only married him shortly before his death. At the time of Estacion’s slaying, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

According to testimony during the trials, Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives believed that Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. Garcia had told others that he wanted to kill Estacion, according to testimony.

A legal battle broke out, with Lamb’s family taking her from her Newport Beach home and trying to get Estacion kicked out of the residence and barred from contacting Lamb. A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion.

Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut power to the residence, and then smothered, struck, and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors allege that Garcia drove from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, then immediately drove back. They say he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he was still in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators that she had her father’s cell phone the night of Estacion’s killing and carried out a fake text conversation between the two of them. But during both trials the daughter recanted those claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie and saying she didn’t have her father’s cell phone that night.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described Garcia as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied that Garcia believed his daughters were entitled to Lamb’s money, and told jurors that Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killing.

Garcia is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on April 28. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

The post Nevada handyman convicted of 2015 killing of 81-year-old California man – East Bay Occasions appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old California man appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Fox Meadows man was convicted Friday of raping an 81-year-old woman who lived in the same area and who had previously hired him to do yard work and other chores, said Shelby County Dist. atty Gen. Amy Weirich.

Matthew James Smith, 39, was convicted of aggravated rape, robbery, aggravated burglary, and theft over $10,000.

According to investigators, the assault happened around 2 am on Feb. 16, 2020, in the 3000 block of Flint Drive.

A man identified as Smith entered the woman’s bedroom and raped her, breaking two of her ribs in the process.

Smith also took two televisions which he loaded into the woman’s Jeep Cherokee and drove away.

Later, the Jeep and TVs were found less than a mile away, just three houses from Smith’s house.

Investigators found a jacket left behind in the woman’s home. Smith’s wallet with his state ID was inside.

The woman’s husband knew said he recognized a man he as “Matthew” grab their car keys as he ran out of the house to the garage and drove away in their car.

Smith was arrested later that same day.

He will be sentenced next month, the DA said.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

trending stories:

©2022 Imagicomm Memphis, Inc.

The post Fox Meadows handyman convicted in rape of 81-year-old neighbor, DA says – FOX13 Information Memphis appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old California man appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old California man appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Nevada handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old man in Newport Seashore – Orange County Register appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old California man appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada handyman convicted of strangling to death an 81-year-old man in the bedroom of a Newport Beach home was sentenced Monday, May 23, to 25 years to life in prison.

Anthony Thomas Garcia, 63, continued to profess his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Santa Ana courtroom, a little more than a year after an Orange County Superior Court jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the April 11, 2015, slaying of Abelardo Lopez Station.

Garcia’s conviction came at the end of his second trial; an earlier jury did not reach a verdict. The second jury found the killing was not carried out for financial gain, which had been alleged by prosecutors and could have led to a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

On Monday, Garcia told Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson that his conviction was a “failure of the justice system. …

“I have been wrongly convicted of a crime I did not commit,” Garcia said. “I am an innocent man. I have always been an innocent man.”

Estacion’s killing came in the midst of an ugly fight over the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife who has since died. Garcia is the former boyfriend of Lamb’s granddaughter and two of Garcia’s daughters are Lamb’s great-granddaughters.

Lamb was a self-made woman who owned valuable real estate in Newport Beach, San Clemente and Costa Mesa. She had been with Estacion for more than 20 years, marrying him shortly before his death. At the time, Lamb was dying from terminal cancer and suffering from dementia.

Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives apparently believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health issues to siphon money from her accounts. According to testimony during the trials, Garcia had told others he wanted to kill Estacion.

Lamb’s family got her out of the Newport Beach home she shared with Estacion, and went to court to try to get Estacion kicked out of the residence.

A judge delayed a decision on whether to approve a temporary restraining order against Estacion. Hours later, someone entered the Newport Beach home, cut the power and smothered, struck and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors accused Garcia of driving from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion, alleging he then immediately drove back to Nevada. They also alleged he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, to make it look like he had stayed in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators she had her father’s cell phone the night of the killing and sent fake text conversations between his cell phone and hers. But during both trials the daughter recanted those earlier claims, alleging detectives pressured her to lie about having the cell phone.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described him as a non-violent, devoted family man who lived a simple life. The defense attorney denied the allegations by prosecutors that Garcia believed his daughter’s were entitled to Lamb’s money. She said Garcia wasn’t even in California the night of the killings.

During the sentencing, Clara Sanchez, Garcia’s sister, described him as funny, kind and unselfish, adding that he is “generous and giving to a fault.” She denied that he has ever been “a violent or aggressive human being. …

“We are all so proud that he has been able to survive in an unfair and prejudiced judicial system,” Sanchez told the judge.

The defense attorney unsuccessfully requested a new trial, alleging, among other things, that some jurors had fallen asleep during the second trial and that a juror had cited their own medical experience to claim the death could only have been a homicide.

The judge described the allegations of jurors falling asleep as “not credible” and said the discussion about the cause of death appears to have been based on opinions formed from courtroom testimony, not outside evidence

“Nothing I say will make this feel better for Mr Garcia or Mr Garcia’s family,” Judge Hanson said. “But make no mistake, I would not proceed with sentencing if in the court’s view Mr. Garcia was an innocent man.”

The post Handyman will get life for killing 81-year-old California man appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A Nevada craftsman was found guilty Tuesday of killing an 81-year-old man who was strangled in the bedroom of a Newport Beach house six years ago.

An Orange County Superior Court jury found Anthony Thomas Garcia, 62, guilty of first degree murder for the April 11, 2015 murder of Abelardo Lopez Estacion.

However, the jury found that the killing was not carried out for financial reasons. Such a finding would have made it a murder in special circumstances that would have resulted in a likely life sentence with no parole.

The conviction comes less than a year after another jury failed to pass a verdict, resulting in one miscarriage and a second trial. The second trial was postponed several times during testimony after Garcia was placed in temporary quarantine for exposure to other prison inmates who tested positive for COVID-19.

The murder occurred amid an ugly battle for the estate of Dortha Lamb, Estacion’s dying wife. Garcia was Lamb’s granddaughter’s ex-boyfriend, and two of Garcia’s daughters were Lamb’s great-grandchildren.

At the beginning of Garcia’s latest trial, Assistant District Attorney Seton Hunt told the jury that the case was about “family, greed, hatred and deception.”

Lamb – a self-made woman who owned valuable properties in Newport Beach, San Clemente, and Costa Mesa – had been with Estacion for over 20 years but only married him shortly before his death. At the time of Estacion’s murder, Lamb died of terminal cancer and suffered from dementia.

According to testimony during the trials, Garcia and some of Lamb’s relatives believed Estacion was abusing Lamb and taking advantage of her health problems to siphon money from her accounts. According to witness statements, Garcia had told others that he wanted to kill Estacion.

A lawsuit broke out when Lamb’s family took her from their Newport Beach home and tried to kick Estacion out of the residence and prevent her from contacting Lamb. A judge delayed a decision approving an injunction against Estacion.

Hours later, someone walked into the Newport Beach home, cut power to the residence, and suffocated, beat, and strangled Estacion.

Prosecutors allege Garcia drove from Carson City to Newport Beach to kill Estacion and then immediately drove back. It is said that he left his cell phone with his adult daughter, Samantha Garcia, so it would look like he was still in Nevada.

Samantha Garcia initially told investigators that she owned her father’s cell phone and had a fake text message between the two of them the night Estacion was murdered. But during both trials, the daughter retracted these claims, claiming detectives pressured her to lie, claiming she did not have her father’s cell phone that night.

During the trials, Garcia’s attorney, Alisha Montoro, described Garcia as a non-violent, devoted family man who led a simple life. The defense attorney denied that Garcia believed his daughters were entitled to Lamb’s money, telling jurors that Garcia wasn’t even in California on the night of the murder.

Garcia is due to return for trial on April 28. He faces up to 25 years in prison.

The post Nevada handyman convicted of 2015 killing of 81-year-old California man appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.