Jury Deliberates in Murder Trial of Dionicio Salazar

Dionicio Salazar

The trial for murder against thirty year old Dionicio Salazar started on June twenty-second before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. And at noon today, a jury of six men and six women stepped into the deliberating room to decide Salazar’s fate. At six-twenty, the jury indicated that it required more time to deliberate. Salazar is accused of the June 2004 murder of San Ignacio, resident Rodney August, the son of Cayo Stars, Alberto August. Rodney was at the river side with his girlfriend, Janelle Longsworth, when a man he claimed he knew as Dionicio Salazar aka “Life” or “Vida” chopped him on the back.  The wound resembled a “V” believed to be the letter of the accused nickname, “Vida.”  Before telling the police who was his attacker, Rodney spoke to Desol Neal, a Justice of the Peace.  Neal testified in court that she responded to a cry for help coming from the riverside and found a wounded Rodney there. He told her that he had been attacked by Life.  Before dying, Rodney also purportedly identified Salazar as his attacker. In summing up today, the Chief Justice cautioned the jury about two issues. First that August cannot be cross examined on a statement he gave police and second to be careful in considering the nickname “Life” because it could mean a number of things. Salazar has another case pending for murder and as we said, the jury is still in deliberation.