Jury deliberations begin in 1984 murder trial

Sarcastically labeling as "amazing coincidences" all the defenses that Gorgonio Vidaca Gonzalez's attorneys presented to the jury, a prosecutor asked the panel last week to think about all the bits of evidence that point to his guilt of first-degree murder. Gonzalez's attorneys want the jury to believe the wrong man is on trial for the 1984 murder near Gardena. Their client is not Salvador Alcantar, who everyone believes is the real killer, they argued.

Roberto Camacho's killer drove a Chevy Impala - the same car Gonzalez drove at the time and had registered in his name, according to Deputy District Attorney Don Syn. Gonzalez's California identification card listed an address in the 1500 block of Steinhart Avenue in Redondo Beach - the same address that "Alcantar" had on record with his El Segundo employer, Syn told the jury.

But to convict Gonzalez would allow the real killer to go free, defense attorney Michael Brush argued to the Torrance Superior Court jury last week. "'Amazing coincidences' do not mean guilt," Brush said.

About 9 a.m. today, the jury was to begin its deliberations. We'll let you know when there's a verdict.

Our last story on the case is here, and a previous blog entry is here.