Illegal Alien Charged with 4 Murders Looks to Evade Death Penalty with ‘Intellectually Disabled’ Label

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An illegal alien charged with murdering four Americans is looking to evade the death penalty by classifying himself as “intellectually disabled.”

Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, a 20-year-old illegal alien from El Salvador, was charged with murdering 56-year-old Connie Koontz, 74-year-old Sophia Renken, 81-year-old Gerald David, and his 80-year-old wife, Sharon David, in January 2019 when prosecutors said he was attempting to steal money from his victims to buy more meth.

Now, Martinez-Guzman’s attorneys seek to classify him as “intellectually disabled” so he can evade the death penalty. The attorneys have appealed their case to Nevada’s Supreme Court, claiming that they need more time to gather evidence that their client is intellectually disabled.

The Associated Press reports:

Nevada’s Supreme Court wants to hear directly from lawyers on both sides in a death penalty dispute over how much more time public defenders should have to try to prove a Salvadoran immigrant is intellectually disabled and can’t be executed if convicted of four 2019 Nevada killings. [Emphasis added]

Deputy Defender John Reese Petty said in their most recent Supreme Court filings the motion hasn’t been filed yet because they’ve been unable to gather necessary evidence in Guzman’s native El Salvador due largely to COVID-19 travel restrictions. [Emphasis added]

A clinical psychologist concluded in an evaluation that’s been sealed in district court that Martinez-Guzman’s general intellectual and cognitive test scores fell well below levels needed to satisfy key elements of Nevada’s execution exemption, the defense said. [Emphasis added]

Previously, a Nevada judge said Martinez-Guzman’s attorneys had until April 20 to prove he is intellectually disabled. They claim they need more time to travel to El Salvador and gather evidence to prove their case.

Among those allegedly murdered by Martinez-Guzman was Connie Koontz, a mother, whose mother’s 80th birthday was the following day. Koontz, herself, was set to turn 57 five days after her murder.

Also allegedly murdered was 74-year-old Sophia Renken, as well as Gerald and Sharon David, who were both beloved members of the South Reno community. Gerald was president of the Reno Rodeo Association in 2006, and Sharon was a member of the group.

Martinez-Guzman’s trial is set to begin on September 20.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here

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