Suspect tied to murder case fears for life
By Sally Apgar
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
June 3, 2008
West Palm Beach
After 30 minutes of interrogation, Danny Varela, one of the men charged in connection with the 2006 slaying of an alleged cocaine dealer and his young family on the Florida Turnpike, told investigators he feared for his own safety and refused to answer any more of their questions, a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reports shows.
During the interview, Varela told investigators he was friends with the shooting victim, Luis Escobedo, and his family and had helped them get their house in Greenacres. Varela said he didn't see Escobedo the night of the shooting because he was bar hopping. He told investigators he shared a house in West Palm Beach with three of the suspects: Ricardo Sanchez Jr., Daniel Troya and Juan Guitierrez.
Then he told investigators he was scared and stopped talking.
A motion by Varela's attorney to suppress the interview was in a flurry of trial documents filed recently, including lengthy ones by the attorneys of Troya and Sanchez seeking to fight the death penalty, mostly on constitutional grounds. In February, the U.S. Attorney said it will seek the death penalty if Troya and Sanchez are convicted at trial of murder.
Investigators have said Troya and Sanchez tracked down the Escobedo family in their 1998 Jeep Cherokee as they drove south along the turnpike on Oct. 13, 2006. About 2:20 a.m., the two cars stopped near Port St. Lucie. Troya and Sanchez allegedly were at close range when they shot more than 20 rounds, killing Escobedo, 28, his wife, Yessica, 25, and their two sons, ages 3 and 4. In court documents, prosecutors alleged Troya and Sanchez murdered the Greenacres family to eliminate them as witnesses to other crimes.
On Monday, Varela's defense attorney, Robert Gershman, filed a motion to suppress that Oct. 25, 2006, interview so that his relationship with Escobedo, and the other defendants is not introduced at trial. Gershman said the interview should be disallowed because Varela was not advised of his constitutional rights until 25 minutes into the 35-minute interview.
Varela is not charged with the armed carjacking or shooting of the family. He is charged with multiple drug and weapons felonies stemming from his alleged involvement in a cocaine organization that investigators say was tied to the other suspects and Escobedo.
Varela has pleaded not guilty.
Troya and Sanchez each have been charged with multiple federal charges in connection with the four murders, armed carjacking, drug trafficking and weapons. They have each pleaded not guilty. Trial is scheduled for January.
Attorney's for Sanchez and Troya could not be reached for comment.
Sally Apgar can be reached at sapgar@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5506.
By Sally Apgar
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
June 3, 2008
West Palm Beach
After 30 minutes of interrogation, Danny Varela, one of the men charged in connection with the 2006 slaying of an alleged cocaine dealer and his young family on the Florida Turnpike, told investigators he feared for his own safety and refused to answer any more of their questions, a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office reports shows.
During the interview, Varela told investigators he was friends with the shooting victim, Luis Escobedo, and his family and had helped them get their house in Greenacres. Varela said he didn't see Escobedo the night of the shooting because he was bar hopping. He told investigators he shared a house in West Palm Beach with three of the suspects: Ricardo Sanchez Jr., Daniel Troya and Juan Guitierrez.
Then he told investigators he was scared and stopped talking.
A motion by Varela's attorney to suppress the interview was in a flurry of trial documents filed recently, including lengthy ones by the attorneys of Troya and Sanchez seeking to fight the death penalty, mostly on constitutional grounds. In February, the U.S. Attorney said it will seek the death penalty if Troya and Sanchez are convicted at trial of murder.
Investigators have said Troya and Sanchez tracked down the Escobedo family in their 1998 Jeep Cherokee as they drove south along the turnpike on Oct. 13, 2006. About 2:20 a.m., the two cars stopped near Port St. Lucie. Troya and Sanchez allegedly were at close range when they shot more than 20 rounds, killing Escobedo, 28, his wife, Yessica, 25, and their two sons, ages 3 and 4. In court documents, prosecutors alleged Troya and Sanchez murdered the Greenacres family to eliminate them as witnesses to other crimes.
On Monday, Varela's defense attorney, Robert Gershman, filed a motion to suppress that Oct. 25, 2006, interview so that his relationship with Escobedo, and the other defendants is not introduced at trial. Gershman said the interview should be disallowed because Varela was not advised of his constitutional rights until 25 minutes into the 35-minute interview.
Varela is not charged with the armed carjacking or shooting of the family. He is charged with multiple drug and weapons felonies stemming from his alleged involvement in a cocaine organization that investigators say was tied to the other suspects and Escobedo.
Varela has pleaded not guilty.
Troya and Sanchez each have been charged with multiple federal charges in connection with the four murders, armed carjacking, drug trafficking and weapons. They have each pleaded not guilty. Trial is scheduled for January.
Attorney's for Sanchez and Troya could not be reached for comment.
Sally Apgar can be reached at sapgar@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5506.
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