Carson Double Murder - The Other Guy Did It

As trial got underway yesterday for two of the three people accused of killing two Carson gas station minimart clerks during a robbery, their defenses were revealed ... and they were kinda cliche. Basically, Eric Sanford, 17, and Adam Loza, 24, are pointing fingers at each other, claiming they had no idea a robbery was about to go down during the 4 a.m. stop for gas and munchies on Nov. 4, 2006.

The crime was pretty heinous and the two adult defendants could've faced lethal injection if it weren't for the fact that the third suspect is a juvenile. Despite the egregiousness of the slayings, though, the trial is pretty straightforward and will probably be wrapped-up next week. Today, the two juries will hear about a fingerprint lifted from a beef jerky on the counter that matched Sanford's, as well as see the grainy outside video, hear about the murder weapons, the arrests and maybe watch portions of the videotaped statements they each gave detectives. More investigative evidence will follow, along with the coroner's report and evidence of prior, similar crimes. There probably won't be a new story on the trial until closing arguments next week.

Family members of Eduardo Roco, 74, and Esther Arteaga, 32, were in court for the proceedings. After the juries left, they asked to take a closer look at some of the photos Deputy District Attorney Beth Widmark showed the juries - including pictures of Roco and Arteaga as they were found, bleeding on the floor, inside the cashier's booth. Families of murder victims often feel they need to see such photos because they want answers, and will endure pain just to come a wee bit closer to eradicating that horrendous "Why?" that, unfortunately, may never be answered. I think it's pretty brave to try, though.