Attorneys question witness on state protection program in Parlier murder trial

PARLIER, Calif. (KFSN) -- An accused Parlier slayer returned to tribunal Friday, sitting softly arsenic prosecutors made their lawsuit against him for the 3rd day.

Francisco Munoz is warring respective felony charges, including 1 number of execution and 2 counts of attempted murder.

Prosecutors judge helium changeable and killed Silvano Mendoza successful June 2021.

The transgression was caught connected camera.

You tin spot a flash arsenic investigators accidental Munoz pulled the trigger from a passing car.

Bullets deed Mendoza, a begetter of five, arsenic helium was leaving for work.

"I examined his assemblage for immoderate injuries," Fresno County Sheriff's Office Deputy Coroner Jeffrey Gentry said.

"I observed what appeared to beryllium a gunshot coiled to the near broadside of his body."

Munoz did not amusement immoderate disposable emotion arsenic Gentry testified, and the suspect stayed stone-faced arsenic witnesser aft witnesser took the stand.

One of them, who testified for hours, is successful the state's witnesser extortion program. Action News could not grounds them.

"Were you acrophobic of the suspect erstwhile you saw him shooting astatine a achromatic car successful the mediate of the night?" authoritative Ismail Aliyev asked.

The witnesser said they felt "freaked out."

The assemblage looked connected arsenic the witnesser pointed astatine Munoz successful court, identifying him by his achromatic garment and saying helium was the shooter.

"But just to accidental you're truly not definite what happened?" defence lawyer Antonio Alvarez asked the witness.

Alvarez highlighted issues with the witness' representation and astatine 1 constituent got the witnesser to admit they were filling successful the blanks.

The defence maintains Munoz was framed arsenic investigators closed in. They accidental determination is nary carnal grounds linking him to the transgression and questioned a ballistics adept astir the six ammunition casings helium examined.

"Did you bash truthful with immoderate benignant of protocol successful presumption of wearing gloves truthful you don't permission immoderate grounds connected it?" Alvarez asked.

"I don't callback successful this situation," Robert Benavides from the Fresno County Sheriff's Office Forensics Laboratory said.

"So, you dealt with it with your bare hands?" Alvarez asked successful response.

"Possibly, yes," Benavides said.

The attorneys archetypal said this proceedings could past astir 2 weeks, but connected Friday, they indicated they could wrapper up with the grounds connected Monday, clearing the mode for closing arguments adjacent Wednesday.

If convicted, Francisco Munoz could look up to beingness successful situation for the execution charge.

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