" 'Murderer!’
Jocelyn Nungaray’s family
lashes out
during second accused killer’s first court appearance.
His defense attorneys meanwhile claimed Martinez-Rangel does not have a previous criminal history
and has two children, ages 5 and 2,
but it’s unclear if they live in Houston or in Venezuela.
However,
he does have family here and was requesting to have his bond lowered.
A judge gave him a $10 million bond.
As Martinez-Rangel was escorted out of court,
one of Jocelyn’s family members shouted
'Murderer'
and
'I hope they kill your children'
in Spanish.
......
During a press conference Monday,
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said the current charges they face
do not make them eligible for the death penalty.
'Our laws treat the age of victims differently,
and they’ve changed where they draw the line',
she explained.
'[It] used to be children under six.
If they were murdered,
that created an underlying offense that would support death penalty and capital murder.
That law was expanded to 10 years old and under,
and then further expanded from 10 to 15.
If the victim was 10 to 15 years old,
yet the death penalty was taken off the table by the legislature,
and instead they suggested that life without parole would be the appropriate charge.
But age is not the only consideration in this case or any case,
the underlying actions of the criminals.
This victim was found,
you know, bound and without clothing from the waist down in the water.
And we just think that there’s a good possibility.
We hope that there’s evidence that remains to be tested'."
During Johan Jose Martínez Rangel's first court appearance, prosecutors also claimed he initially denied doing anything but it was later revealed he tied the 12-year-old's legs and told Franklin Pena to dump her body in the water.
www.click2houston.com
