Justice for Junior: Recapping week 1 of murder trial

The trial against the men accused of slaying Belmont teen Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz will be entering its second week.

News 12 Staff

May 12, 2019, 5:29 PM

Updated 1,803 days ago

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The trial against the men accused of slaying Belmont teen Lesandro "Junior" Guzman-Feliz will be entering its second week.
Junior's parents attended opening statements for the first two murder trials on Monday. Prosecutors told the jury that Junior was killed by a pack of gang members who chased him down with knives and machetes because they thought he was a member of a rival gang.
Defense attorneys put the blame on one of the five men charged with first-degree murder in the case. Police say Jonaiki Martinez-Estrella put the death blow on the Belmont teen by cutting his jugular. It was revealed Monday that the wound was 4 inches deep.
Prosecutors questioned their first witness, a young woman and friend of Junior, on Tuesday. She identified Jose Muniz in court as one of the attackers at the scene and corroborated video evidence of the attack.
Two new angles of surveillance video provided by the NYPD showed all the attackers on camera committing the slaying.
Prosecutors played the infamous bodega surveillance footage for the jury Wednesday. Junior's parents left the courtroom at one point to avoid watching their son get killed on video again.
Prosecutors also called a forensics expert from the medical examiner's office to the stand who testified that Elvin Garcia's DNA was found in blood stains in two apparent getaway cars. Junior's blood was also found on an interior door of one of those cars.
The forensics expert also testified that none of the knives provided to the medical examiner had sufficient DNA to match with a suspect, and that Junior's clothing was not provided to the medical examiner's office for examination.
Court was adjourned Friday because two defendants were unable to attend. Judge Robert Neary did not identify either, but says one was sick.
Testimony and cross examination will resume on Tuesday. A defense lawyer not involved in the trial, but following it closely, tells News 12 the witness list consists of roughly 40 people.
A total of 14 men have been charged in the slaying of Junior, with five of them being charged with first-degree murder.


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