4 of Jose Shoman’s alleged murder conspirators freed of charge

There was other very significant news coming out of the Court of Appeal today, this time for four men charged jointly for conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. The case is from way back in December of 2008, which is when authorities say five men, one Honduran national and four Guatemalan nationals, conspired to murder businessman Jose Shoman and his family. In February 2011 they were convicted and were serving time pending a decision on their appeal, which was heard on October twenty-second 2012. That decision was handed down today, along with freedom for four of the five men charged, while one, Cesar Junio Aldana, will continue to serve a fourteen year sentence. Leo Bradley, Attorney for one of the freed men, told News Five that there was no conclusive evidence of conspiracy.

Leo Bradley, Attorney for Miguel Mayorga

Leo Bradley

“What the court did, if I could go primarily to the one that was dismissed, they dismissed one appeal and that appeal that was dismissed was Cesar Junio Aldana. What that means is that he is to return and serve out his sentence. The other four, their sentence has been quashed; a sentence of acquittal has been entered. And so basically once the formalities of whatever paper work needs to be done, they will be free to go. Mr. Elrington and myself based our appeal on several grounds, several submissions. I haven’t had the opportunity of reading the decision. After I’ve read the decision, I’ll be in a better position to say, but my belief is that it might have come down to the question of whether or not any of these individuals said yes. For you to conspire, you need to agree to conspire. You need to say yes, I will be a part of this—whatever job or whatever we are going to do. Like I said, I am speaking without having read the decision, but I have a feeling that was what it came down to as far as the Court of Appeal judges in their decision.”

Miguel Mayorga, who was represented by Leo Bradley, was the man originally believed to have come up with the plan to murder and rob Shoman and his family. And while he, along with Eswin Rosalez, Carlos Juarez and Jose Cordova are freed of the conspiracy charges, Mayorga will likely not experience freedom for time yet, since he was also found guilty on weapons and ammunitions charges.