Fate of accused killer with jury

Man allegedly shot two teens

SANTA FE — State prosecutors say they have a mountain of evidence that proves that Ricardo Martinez shot and killed teenagers Venancio Cisneros and AnaMarie Ojeda from the backseat of Cisneros’ car. But Martinez’s attorney says Martinez and Cisneros were good friends, and that he was not angry with Cisneros when the shootings took place.

After almost three weeks of testimony, Santa Fe District Judge T. Glenn Ellington charged a jury with deciding whether Martinez, now 22, executed Cisneros 18, and Ojeda, 13, on the afternoon of Oct. 24, 2014, in the Valle Vista subdivision south of Santa Fe.

Investigators say Ojeda was shot first in the back of the head and killed instantly before Martinez turned the gun on her boyfriend and shot him three times, also in the back of the head. The case was turned over to the jury around 2 p.m. Thursday.

Prosecutor Peter Valencia said in closing arguments that Martinez had planned to kill the couple that day because Cisneros owed him money for cocaine.

He said Cisneros and Ojeda drove up to Martinez’s house on Calle Inez on the southwest side of town and waited for half an hour before Martinez came out for a ride. Valencia said it was during the wait that Martinez thought about carrying out the murders.

Cisneros then drove the three to what became the crime scene, and he and Ojeda were killed minutes later, prosecutors say. Cocaine, marijuana and cash were found in Cisneros’ car, which Valencia said was proof that it was a planned execution and not a botched armed robbery.

“He had 30 minutes to decide what he wanted to do that day,” Valencia said. “He got into the car with an evil, evil purpose to kill those kids. The plan the whole time was to kill them. You don’t rob someone and forget to take the drugs and money.”

But Mark Earnest, Martinez’s lawyer, said Martinez and Cisneros were good friends.

But Cisneros was a thief who stole from drug dealers, leaving him with enemies who may have wanted to hurt him, Earnest added. He also discredited witness Emilio Benitez, who said he saw Martinez leaving the crime scene shortly after he heard gunshots, because Benitez has a medical condition that hinders his eyesight.

Joseph Montoya, an inmate who was previously housed in the same pod as Martinez in the Santa Fe County jail, testified during the trial that Martinez confessed to killing the couple because Cisneros owed him money for drugs.

Earnest said Montoya was an “opportunist” because he went to detectives with the information only after he picked up new charges in Albuquerque and wanted to strike a plea deal. The defense lawyer cited testimony of Denise Montoya, Joseph Montoya’s ex-girlfriend. “She told you under oath that he’s a compulsive liar,” Earnest said.

Earnest said the state is relying on flimsy evidence from Benitez and Montoya, and told jurors that they should not convict Martinez based on that. “He’s not guilty,” Earnest said. “The state hasn’t done its job.”