By Paloma Sifuentes
RIVERSIDE, CA- The case of Manuel Silverio Barbarin, Jr., (alias Chris Barbarin) and Christian Velasquez Rosales went to the jury for a verdict Tuesday—both accused were charged in 2012 for the murder of a 14-year-old boy Feb. 23, 2012, who was killed in Riverside while he was walking home.
Manuel Barbarian’s attorney, John Dorr, told the jury that “there was no evidence found other than his client’s statement” that proves he is the perpetrator in the death of the 14-year-old victim.
Dorr said the prosecution team took a sample of Barbarin’s DNA and the result came back as negative, excluding him. Additionally, the prosecution used a buccal swab on Velasquez and there was no testimony that came out involving the results from that swab.
Dorr also used witness testimonies in his closing argument, stating the witness had described the perpetrator wearing a black hat with a letter on it and a mustache. However, Dorr noted his client, Barbarin, was wearing a red bandana.
Barbarin’s attorney also told the jury the result of the six pack lineup, that included his client, had a witness pick out the individual in the second position that was not his client, Barbarin. The defense also noted there was no GRS (gunshot residue) found on his client or clothes.
During a previous jury trial on Nov. 1, Velasquez’s attorney Joe Galasso asked the jury to watch two videos of the client’s statements to view any unusual behavior or statements missing from the transcript that were in the video.
Dorr explained to the jury that most of them had not viewed the video but instead read the transcript they were given for the majority of the videos being played, which was not the main focus for the intentions of showing the video.
Dorr’s closing statement to the jury included him asking them to go to the jury room and rewatch the videos and “make a very big decision” with the little evidence they were given. He challenged the jury to notice “the government had not (met) the burden of proof.”
Jury deliberations are ongoing. 
