ORANGE WALK TOWN, Fri. June 19, 2020– The murder trial of Mario Aguirre, 29, a mechanic of San Roman, Orange Walk District, who was charged for the stabbing death on March 4, 2017, of Marcelino Chan, 54, a farmer of San Roman who was a father of 11 children, came to a conclusion yesterday in the Northern Session of the Supreme Court.
Justice Herbert Lord was the judge in the trial without a jury, and he found Aguirre guilty.
Aguirre’s murder trial began in January and concluded yesterday. After reviewing the evidence and submissions from the defense and the prosecution, Justice Lord ruled that Aguirre was guilty. He found that the prosecution proved all the points required for a guilty verdict for a murder charge in a Supreme Court Trial.
In his conclusion, Justice Lord found that the prosecution proved that the victim, Marcelino Chan, was dead, from harm caused by Mario Aguirre, that he (Aguirre) caused the harm with the intention to kill Chan, and that he caused the harm without justification.
The defense called one witness, who told the court that she saw three men attacking Aguirre.
However, in his deliberation, Justice Lord said that the witness did not corroborate Aguirre’s unsworn statement, and that her statement carried little or no weight. The judge said that in reviewing all the evidence by the prosecution, including the evidence provided by the 14 witnesses, he determined that the defense claim of self-defense was not proved.
Police said that at about 8:30 Saturday night, March 4, in San Roman, Aguirre stabbed Chan 7 times – in the left side of the chest, behind the ears, and twice in the rib cage, which pierced his heart and back.
Witnesses told police that Aguirre and his common-law wife became involved in a domestic dispute in her family house in the village, and he began to beat her.
Chan, who saw what was happening, intervened and parted the fight, and after he was able to subdue Aguirre, he walked away, but police allege that Aguirre suddenly attacked and stabbed him, and then went on the run.
The police manhunt to capture Mario Aguirre, wanted for the murder of his cousin and fellow villager, Marcelino Chan, ended successfully when he was arrested in the village and charged with murder.
No date has been given for his sentencing.
Those who knew them said that Chan was friendly and approachable, and Aguirre was a quiet person.