By Keana Sauray and Tommy Nguyen
INDIO, CA – Closing statements were made to the jury Tuesday in the quadruple homicide jury trial of Jose Larin-Garcia in Riverside County Superior Court from Defense Attorney John Dolan and Deputy District Attorney Samantha Paixao.
Larin-Garcia is accused of murdering four people, aged 17-25, on Feb. 3, 2019, in Palm Springs.
Judge Anthony Villalobos asked Dolan to begin with his closing argument in the multi-month long trial, which has been marked by regular and loud debates between the prosecution and defense—with the judge sometimes joining in the frays.
Dolan—who repeatedly during the trial suggested another man was the real killer, not his client—argued that the primary charges of the case, first-degree murder, personal use of firearms, and lying in wait as special circumstances, are insufficiently supported by the evidence. 
Judge Villalobos then asked DDA Paixao—who put a host of blood and DNA experts on the stand—to summarize the prosecution’s argument against the defense request for acquittal from the jury.
“The question is simply whether the prosecution has presented sufficient evidence to present the matter to the jury for determination,” said DDA Paixao. She explained that the motion for acquittal must be denied as the prosecution’s evidence supports the findings of the defendant’s guilt.
After that, she presented evidence that justifies the speculation of Larin-Garcia’s inference of guilt, including the defendant’s behavior prior to and after the murder, the facts from the investigation, as well as physical evidence found in the suspect’s vicinity.
Dolan then responded with his rebuttal against the reliability of DDA Paixao’s argument for conviction.
“The People have not addressed what is required in order to produce premeditated deliberation,” Dolan argued. He cited past cases to prove that the prosecution has not properly followed the standards for the charge of first-degree murder.
Dolan then objected to the accusation of personal discharge of a firearm, explaining that the prosecution only has “the strong suspicion maybe because they find hard cases in his room,” which he affirms to only be circumstantial evidence.
DDA Paixao refused to argue the defense’s objection against the premeditated deliberation, stating that Dolan has “misstated the law.”
The jury is expected to receive final instructions and be sent out to deliberate Thursday.
