Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleJurors avoid death penalty, sentence men to life without parole
Published Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009 | 11:30 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009 | 2:23 p.m.
Sun Archives
- Jurors weigh death penalty in Luxor pipe bomb case (8-31-2009)
- Jury finds men guilty in Luxor bombing case (8-28-2009)
- Jury deliberates in Luxor bombing trial (8-27-2009)
- Trial near end in fatal Luxor bombing case (8-26-2009)
- Testimony begins in fatal Luxor bombing case (8-21-2009)
- Attorneys question jurors in Luxor bombing case (8-18-09)
- Jury selection starts in deadly Vegas bombing case (8-17-09)
A jury on Tuesday spared two men from the death penalty and sentenced them to life in prison without parole for killing a man with a pipe bomb.
On Monday, Omar Rueda-Denvers and Porfirio “Pilo” Duarte-Herrera pleaded with jurors to show them mercy and spare their lives. The men on Friday were found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and of related bomb possession charges.
Besides the death penalty or life without parole, jurors could have sentenced them to 100 years with parole possible after 40 years or life with parole possible after 40 years.
Prosecutors pushed for the death penalty but were satisfied with the jurors’ decision to spare their lives, saying the sentence is still vindication for the victims.
“This is justice,” said Nell Kennan, deputy district attorney. “We accept the verdict and the community should accept the penalty that these jurors have given down.”
Jurors began deliberations Monday and were sent home late in the evening. They resumed deliberations this morning and reached their decision at about 11 a.m., said District Court spokesman Michael Sommermeyer.
Attorneys for both defendants said they would appeal the verdict at least in part on their belief that the trials should have been severed.
“I think that the jury did a great job. I think that both men would probably have gotten a little fairer trial tried separately,” said Clark Patrick, Duarte-Herrera's attorney. “I think their levels of culpability are somewhat different and I think there was maybe some spillover effect from Mr. Denvers to Mr. Duarte-Hererra.”
The pipe bomb exploded on the garage roof of the Luxor on May 7, 2007, killing Willebaldo Dorantes Antonio. His girlfriend, Caren Chali, was near the explosion but was unharmed.
When the verdict was read today, the defendants showed no emotion.
On Monday, the men both expressed remorse to Dorantes Antonio’s family and asked jurors to show them compassion.
“My own life is in your hands,” Herrera, 29, said through a Spanish translator.
Denvers, 33, spoke without the translator’s help and said, “I want to say I’m so sorry to the family Dorantes. I want to say ‘I love you’ to my daughters.”
Prosecutors contended throughout the trial that Chali spurned Denvers’ attempts to reconcile their intimate relationship and sought the help of his friend, Herrera, to get his revenge. Denvers’ attorneys said he was just trying to find the daughter he had with Chali.
The bomb tore off Dorante Antonio’s hand and sent a piece of metal into his head, which killed him.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- Photos: Olivia Culpo, 20, of Rhode Island is crowned 2012 Miss USA at Planet Hollywood
- US Navy hopes stealth ship answers a rising China
- Photos: Derek Hough celebrates 27th birthday at Tabu Ultra Lounge
- Learning about Electric Daisy Carnival fans will help Las Vegas court them
- On the horizon: A quick look at projects poised to shape downtown
Everything Under the Sun
Blogs
The Kats Report
Joe Pesci remembers his own honeymoon in Vegas -- meeting the Rat Pack
Las Vegas Philharmonic says search for new music director to begin 'immediately' (1 Comment)
With Shenandoah project stalled, Wayne Newton hits back legally (7 Comments)
Where does a Playmate play when she turns 21? Vegas! (3 Comments)
Ice Ice Billy
The road to six-toed cats and Mayor Bubba
The Kats Report
David Itkin tells L.V. Philharmonic officials he's on his way out (14 Comments)
Diamond Dave sells it well as Van Halen pours out the power at MGM Grand (2 Comments)
- Locally owned and independent since 1950; Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, best news website in the nation & DuPont Award for broadcast journalism
Lets see, KILL somebody with a BOMB and all you have to do is say your sorry through a translator and then go to jail to be with all the other low life's.
Three squares a day , a roof over your head and no bills to pay, all paid for the rest of your life bye the state.
Somebody get a rope!
I wish I was on that jury! Illegal alien's get the break's again!
spORT's!
If anyone deserves the ultimate punishment, it was these two. What does remorse have to do with it after you've killed someone and you were caught red handed? You're remorseful because you got caught! Sad day for justice.
Total bunk, Execute these killers.
They should on death row right now awaiting their final walk but they're not. Thank god they'll NEVER be able to get out.At 29....with any luck they'll rot and then die.They got their American Dream...enjoy it.
EVERYONE ON DEATH ROW IN ANY STATE SHOULD BE EXECUTED. IT SHOULD BE EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR UNTIL THEY ARE ALL GONE.
NO NEED TO BUILD NEW PRISONS. USE TENTS WITH A HALF MILE OF RAZOR WIRE AROUND THE TENTS.
TAKE THAT BLEEDING HEARTS
Kill, kill, kill. that is all i ever seem to hear from christians. JC would be horrified by the death in His name. He was against an Eye for an Eye or did you forget that little bit.
Mercy and compassion are the beginnings of salvation. Just because a person(s) committed a terrible crime, does not require that we, as a civil and just society, soil ourselves with revenge and hatred.
Comment removed by moderator. Comment contained an advertisement.