Jurors deliberate role of man in gang slaying

In video, suspect gives shooting details

FORT SMITH — A Sebastian County Circuit Court jury will resume deliberation this morning on whether Ryan Oxford assisted other Slangaz 96 gang members in killing a rival gang member earlier this year.

The jury of six men and six women deliberated about 3½ hours Tuesday before Circuit Judge Michael Fitzhugh sent jurors home for the night about 5:50 p.m. Jurors had heard 1½ days of testimony.

Oxford, 20, is charged with first-degree murder and seven counts of committing a terroristic act.

Oxford was one of four gang members charged in the death of 18-year-old Justin Lopez, who was killed by a single gunshot wound in the head when two of the gang members fired 22 bullets into a camper trailer that Lopez and fellow Clout Boys gang member Trey Miller were occupying on the night of Jan. 14.

During the second day of the trial, jurors watched two video interviews between police and Oxford. In the first interview, a day or two after Lopez’s death, Oxford was evasive as police detective Billy Hardin grilled him about his role in the killing.

He said he had drank a fifth of whiskey and didn’t remember much about the night of the shooting. He said he remembered co-defendant Bryan Porras mentioning a wedding, but he didn’t remember going to it.

According to testimony in earlier trials, Porras, 20;

Oxford; Alberto Chavez, 19; and 17-year-old Jorge Chirinos — all members of the Slangaz 96 gang — went to a wedding the evening of the shooting and interrogated guests to learn Lopez’s whereabouts. When one of the guests told them where Lopez was, the four piled into Porras’ car and headed to North Ninth Street.

In his first interview, Oxford said he didn’t see the shooting. He said he stayed in the car, which he claimed was parked far down the alley when he and the other three gang members pulled up behind 2315 N. Ninth St., where Lopez and Miller sat in a camper trailer.

But two weeks later, on Jan. 31, Oxford asked to talk to police again. In that interview, he gave specific information about the shooting. He talked about how Porras and Chavez had trouble at first getting the guns off safety before they could start shooting.

Oxford also admitted he bought the two guns and ammunition used in the shooting.

He said he sold the AR-15style rifle to Porras because he knew Porras was a convicted felon and could not purchase firearms.

When Porras, Chavez and Chirinos got out of the car, Oxford said, he got out of the back seat and into the driver’s seat and drove the car away after the shooting.

Chirinos, who testified for the state against Porras, Chavez and Oxford, said Chavez fired an AR-15-style rifle into the trailer occupied by Lopez and Miller and that Porras fired the AK-47-style rifle.

State Crime Laboratory firearms and tool mark examiner Jennifer Floyd testified Tuesday that, from her analyses, 23 spent shell casings found by police in the alley beside the trailer were fired from the AR-15-style rifle and that nine shell casings were fired from the AK-47style rifle.

She also testified that the single bullet that struck Lopez in the back of the head and killed him came from the AR-15-style rifle.

Arkansas associate medical examiner Jennifer Forsyth testified Tuesday that she removed a bullet fragment from Lopez’s skull that Floyd later matched to the AR-15style rifle.

A jury convicted Porras on Nov. 15 of first-degree murder and seven counts of committing a terroristic act. Based on the jury’s recommendation, Fitzhugh sentenced Porras to 63 years in prison on the murder charge, lesser sentences for the terroristic act charges and another 34 years, to run consecutively to the murder sentence, for violating suspended sentences he had received last year for five felony convictions.

Chavez was convicted Nov. 29 of second-degree murder and seven counts of committing a terroristic act. He was sentenced to 110 years in prison.

Chirinos also is charged with first-degree murder and seven counts of committing a terroristic act. He is scheduled to go on trial Jan. 8. He has testified that he hopes to receive leniency in return for his truthful testimony.

Court records show he has a plea deadline and mandatory appearance at 11 a.m. today.