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Ramil found guilty of 2nd -degree murder
By Jonathan Shacat/Wick Communications
BISBEE - A man was convicted by a jury for his role in a 2008 Willcox murder in Cochise County Superior Court on Monday.
Jonathan Arthur Ramil, 28, was found guilty of second-degree murder of Patrick Gleason, 43, and tampering with physical evidence at a residence along El Sol Lane.
The trial, which took place in Division 3 court, started on June 1 with jury selection. The attorneys made closing arguments on Friday afternoon, but the jurors did not start deliberating until Monday morning.
Ramil was charged with first-degree murder, but the jurors were allowed to consider convicting on lesser included offenses of second-degree murder, manslaughter upon sudden quarrel or heat of passion, manslaughter and negligent homicide.
Members of the jury of eight men and four women deliberated for about six hours on Monday before deciding the verdicts.
Last year on June 2, Gleason went to Israel Morales Otero's house on El Sol Lane to borrow a tool. Otero owed Gleason $170 and he offered to exchange his television to pay off the debt.
They entered the home to look at the TV, as Gleason's girlfriend Annie Luke sat in a parked Mustang outside and Ramil sat in a parked Cadillac nearby. Luke heard some sounds inside the residence and yelled something like "What is going on?"
John Edward Romero came outside with a baseball bat and struck Luke. Otero told Romero to leave her alone. Ramil was given a bat and was told to watch over Luke, and he basically told her she was lucky, according to the prosecution.
Gleason's beaten body was loaded into a Dodge pickup truck. Romero drove the pickup to dump his body near Brown's Country Store, as Otero and Luke followed in the Mustang. Otero abandoned the Mustang nearby.
Romero picked up Otero and Luke, but the Dodge soon ran out of gas. So, Ramil, who had stayed back at the house, came to pick them up in the Cadillac and brought them back to the residence on El Sol Lane, according to the prosecution.
On June 3, 2008, law enforcement officials observed Ramil and Fernando Vasquez cleaning up the crime scene.
Roger Contreras, deputy county attorney, said Ramil acted as an accomplice in killing Gleason. He pointed out that Otero took about $4,500 from Gleason's wallet and gave $1,000 to Ramil.
On the other hand, the defense maintained that Ramil did not participate in the slaying. Attorney Ruben Teran pointed out his client was surprised when law enforcement officials told him about the death.
Teran also said Luke has a motive to help the prosecution because she is currently facing charges from 2007. He said she could get sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, but is hoping to get a probation eligible plea deal on the matters.
Judge Wallace Hoggatt scheduled Ramil's sentencing hearing for July 2.
Otero and Romero, who are charged with first-degree murder of Gleason and tampering with evidence, will go on trial in August.
Vasquez was sentenced in September to one year in prison after pleading guilty to tampering with evidence.
Herald/Review reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached by telephone at (520) 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.
Jonathan Arthur Ramil, 28, was found guilty of second-degree murder of Patrick Gleason, 43, and tampering with physical evidence at a residence along El Sol Lane.
The trial, which took place in Division 3 court, started on June 1 with jury selection. The attorneys made closing arguments on Friday afternoon, but the jurors did not start deliberating until Monday morning.
Ramil was charged with first-degree murder, but the jurors were allowed to consider convicting on lesser included offenses of second-degree murder, manslaughter upon sudden quarrel or heat of passion, manslaughter and negligent homicide.
Members of the jury of eight men and four women deliberated for about six hours on Monday before deciding the verdicts.
Last year on June 2, Gleason went to Israel Morales Otero's house on El Sol Lane to borrow a tool. Otero owed Gleason $170 and he offered to exchange his television to pay off the debt.
They entered the home to look at the TV, as Gleason's girlfriend Annie Luke sat in a parked Mustang outside and Ramil sat in a parked Cadillac nearby. Luke heard some sounds inside the residence and yelled something like "What is going on?"
John Edward Romero came outside with a baseball bat and struck Luke. Otero told Romero to leave her alone. Ramil was given a bat and was told to watch over Luke, and he basically told her she was lucky, according to the prosecution.
Gleason's beaten body was loaded into a Dodge pickup truck. Romero drove the pickup to dump his body near Brown's Country Store, as Otero and Luke followed in the Mustang. Otero abandoned the Mustang nearby.
Romero picked up Otero and Luke, but the Dodge soon ran out of gas. So, Ramil, who had stayed back at the house, came to pick them up in the Cadillac and brought them back to the residence on El Sol Lane, according to the prosecution.
On June 3, 2008, law enforcement officials observed Ramil and Fernando Vasquez cleaning up the crime scene.
Roger Contreras, deputy county attorney, said Ramil acted as an accomplice in killing Gleason. He pointed out that Otero took about $4,500 from Gleason's wallet and gave $1,000 to Ramil.
On the other hand, the defense maintained that Ramil did not participate in the slaying. Attorney Ruben Teran pointed out his client was surprised when law enforcement officials told him about the death.
Teran also said Luke has a motive to help the prosecution because she is currently facing charges from 2007. He said she could get sentenced to more than 20 years in prison, but is hoping to get a probation eligible plea deal on the matters.
Judge Wallace Hoggatt scheduled Ramil's sentencing hearing for July 2.
Otero and Romero, who are charged with first-degree murder of Gleason and tampering with evidence, will go on trial in August.
Vasquez was sentenced in September to one year in prison after pleading guilty to tampering with evidence.
Herald/Review reporter Jonathon Shacat can be reached by telephone at (520) 515-4693 or by e-mail at jonathon.shacat@bisbeereview.net.
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