Jury convicts two men of murder of young woman in Movera eight years ago
A trial jury has found Aivaras Savickas and Juan Echepares guilty of the murder of María Marian, committed in November 2018. Two other defendants have been acquitted of the crime.
Unanimous verdict in Movera murder case
The jury has unanimously convicted Aivaras Savickas, a Lithuanian national, and Juan Echepares Omedes of premeditated murder. Both were accused of the death of María Marian, aged 28, who was shot on 21 November 2018 at a property in Movera, Zaragoza. The nine members of the court found two other defendants, Jesús J. M. and Félix T. M., not guilty. The verdict was announced after 22:15 hours, just 18 days short of eight years since the crime, according to aragondigital.es.
Five days of trial at the Provincial Court of Zaragoza allowed the court to analyse the case before reaching its decision. The presiding magistrate, Eduardo López Causapé, must now draft the final sentence. The prosecution and the private prosecution maintain their demand for 23 years' imprisonment for each of the convicted men, plus five years' supervised release. The defence teams have requested the minimum sentence for murder.
Circumstances of the crime
The jury found it proven that there was a common purpose to kill María Marian and that those involved organised transport from Cambrils (Tarragona) to Zaragoza to carry out the attack. At least two men accessed the property in the Torre Urzáiz residential development, cut an opening in the metal fence and entered carrying at least one pistol. The young woman was returning from shopping with her sister and heading from the garage towards the house when she was surprised.
The shot was fired from approximately one metre away and struck vital organs—heart, liver and lungs—causing fatal haemorrhage. The sudden nature of the attack and the victim's inability to defend herself were determining factors in classifying the crime as premeditated murder rather than manslaughter.
Differentiated participation
The verdict attributed different degrees of participation to the two convicted men. In the case of Savickas, the court found it proven that he travelled from Cambrils, participated in planning the crime, accessed the property through the opening in the fence and was present next to the victim when she was shot. His defence argued that he had come to accompany Echepares to collect a debt; this version was not accepted by the jury, though they did not consider him the person who fired the shot.
Regarding Juan Echepares, the jury also established his participation in the planning and his access to the property. However, it did not find it proven that he was next to María Marian at the moment of the shooting. It did accept that he provided logistical support to whoever fired the shot, with knowledge of the purpose to kill. Despite this difference, all nine jury members convicted him equally of premeditated murder.
The jury also rejected the personal circumstances put forward by Echepares' defence to reduce his criminal liability. It did not find proven the facts relating to intellectual limitations or personality disorders that were included in the defence questionnaire.
Two defendants acquitted
Jesús J. M. was found not guilty of both murder and manslaughter. Although the jury placed him in the journey from Tarragona to María de Huerva, it did not find it established that he accessed the Movera property or that he was next to the victim when the shot was fired. His defence had insisted that there was insufficient physical evidence linking the defendant to the crime scene.
Félix T. M. was also found not guilty. The prosecutions had accused him of collaborating to locate the family home. The jury found it proven that he accompanied the men from Tarragona to the Pastriz area and showed them where the property was located, but not that he knew of the murderous purpose. This last point proved decisive in ruling out his culpability as an accomplice.
Sentencing demands
The prosecution is seeking 23 years' imprisonment for Savickas and Echepares, plus five years' supervised release. The private prosecution fully adhered to these demands. Both prosecutions are claiming compensation of 150,000 euros for each of the victim's parents and 100,000 euros for her sister, totalling 400,000 euros which the two convicted men should assume jointly and severally if so ordered in the sentence.
The defence teams have requested the minimum sentence for murder. Savickas' defence additionally requested the application of Article 89 of the Criminal Code to consider replacing the prison sentence with his expulsion from Spain. The defendant, through his Lithuanian interpreter, expressed agreement with this request. Juan Echepares made no additional request.
Both convicted men remain currently at liberty pending the final sentence.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)