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November 29, 2001
By Aspen C. Emmett Angel Tacoronte, the mother of accused murderer Shaun Murphy, waived a preliminary hearing on charges of Class 4 felony intimidation of a witness and misdemeanor menacing in Montezuma County Court Tuesday afternoon. Tacoronte’s defense attorney, George Buck, called any plea negotiations with the district attorney’s office "fruitless," and told the court Tacoronte would not be pleading guilty to the charges. "Let’s take it on up to the other court," Buck told County Court Judge Chris Leroi. Tacoronte, 34, of Farmington, was taken into custody as she was leaving the courtroom during her son’s preliminary hearing in September because of threats she allegedly made against a witness. The threats were reportedly made against Mary Lobato of Farmington in the courtroom over a lunch recess. Lobato is a material witness who is expected to testify against her long-time acquaintance, Murphy. According to a police report, Tacoronte walked past Lobato and said, "Trick whore, wait till we get outside the courtroom." Tacoronte denies the allegations and has since posted bond. "She seriously intimidated the witness," Olt said in September. "What exact statements were made — we’re still going through the charging process." Murphy, 18, of Farmington, is accused of brutally beating 16-year-old Fred Martinez Jr., who was a gay or transgendered Navajo teen. Martinez’s badly decomposed body was found June 21 south of Cortez and several tips to a Crime Stoppers hotline resulted in Murphy’s July 4 arrest. Murphy’s case was bound over to district court and a jury trial has tentatively been set for March 4. Tacoronte is scheduled to appear Jan. 10 at 9 a.m. in district court for arraignment on both charges. |
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