A brief look at how ‘Chicago Jury Convicts Diego Uribe Of Stabbing, Shooting And Bludgeoning Six Family Members To Death, Including Two Children’ A Cook County jury on Wednesday found Diego Uribe guilty on six counts of first-degree murder in the horrific 2016 mass slaying that counted two children among the victims, the state attorney’s office confirmed to Law&Crime.
Chicago Jury Convicts Diego Uribe Of Stabbing, Shooting, And Bludgeoning Six Family Members To Death, Including Two Children
According to a report from the Chicago Sun-Times, the jury deliberated for more than 10 hours over the course of two days before returning the guilty verdicts.
Details of the massacre sent shockwaves through the Chicago area when they became public.
Officers from the Chicago Police Department responded to a 911 call on the evening of February 6, 2016, asking for a well-being check at a residence in the 5700 block of South California Avenue. Police entered the house and discovered the six victims: Noe Martinez Sr., 62, his wife, Rosaura Martinez, 58, their son, Noe Martinez Jr., 38, their daughter, Maria Herminia Martinez, 32, and Maria’s two boys, Leonardo Cruz, 13, and Alexis Cruz, 10.
In the Gage Park murder trial of Diego Uribe, jurors viewed graphic crime scene and autopsy photos from the scene at 5708 S. California in Chicago. https://t.co/ZHviUNm2RL
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) September 30, 2022
The victims had reportedly been bludgeoned, shot, and stabbed to death, then left in the home for two days.
According to reports, Uribe went to the Gage Park house to steal money, but the heist “spiraled out of hand” and eventually evolved into a mass murder. This information was presented before the trial, which started last week. Due to the fact that none of the victims were bound, investigators were apparently soon persuaded that they knew the murderer.
“Trust was the driving force behind what transpired. During closing arguments, Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Waller reportedly said to the jury, “He was able to do that because he was family. It will never be perfectly reasonable, but the fact remains that he desired money.
Further Investigation And DNA
Prosecutors reportedly provided evidence that Uribe and his then-girlfriend, Jafeth Ramos, went to the home with the intention to rob Uribe’s aunt and her family. DNA evidence and cell phone records reportedly confirmed that Uribe was at the home during the time of the killings.
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Ramos, who struck a plea deal with prosecutors, reportedly testified last week for almost two hours, telling jurors that she watched in horror as Uribe killed each individual in the home.
She reportedly said that they were driving back from a medical clinic when Uribe told her they were going to be taking a detour to his aunt’s house, saying they would “come back with some money,” the Chicago Tribune reported.
Dinner was on the agenda for the family. The victims welcomed Uribe and Ramos into their home and asked them to join them for dinner. According to Ramos, Uribe requested to speak with Maria Martinez in her upstairs bedroom. He allegedly drew a gun on her and demanded money when he got there.
“Martinez responded by laughing, according to Ramos, but when he realized Uribe was serious, he started to seize the gun and start a struggle with him for it. The Sun-Times summary of the testimony states that Uribe then shot her multiple times in the forehead. “When Noe Martinez Jr., 38, the brother of Martinez, attempted to ascend the stairs, Uribe pistol-whipped him until he fell to the ground and then pushed Noe Martinez’s knee to his throat until he stopped moving, Ramos said.”
Ramos reportedly said Uribe pushed Rosaura Martinez down the stairs, then stabbed her and the two children to death. Noe Martinez Sr. was reportedly the last to die, as Uribe killed him when he came home with dinner for the family.
Uribe’s defense attorneys reportedly argued that her client could not have single-handedly taken out all six family members without anyone being able to call 911. In opening statements, they reportedly suggested that four masked killers were responsible for the murders, but no evidence was provided to support that theory.
Ramos reportedly pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery, with prosecutors agreeing to suggest she serve a 25-year prison sentence.
Uribe is currently scheduled to appear before Judge Carol Howard on Nov. 7 for his sentencing hearing. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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