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Supreme Judicial Court upholds 2018 murder conviction in Latin King case

SPRINGFIELD — The state Supreme Judicial Court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of Lee Manuel Rios in a killing linked to the Latin Kings street gang, the Hampden District Attorney's Office said Wednesday. Lee Manuel Rios remains sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. A jury found Rios guilty in 2018 of first-degree murder for the March 2015 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Kenneth Lopez. On Wednesday, the District Attorney's office called Lopez's killing a carefully orchestrated plan to ambush and execute him, which was rooted in internal gang conflict and personal retaliation. Rios lured the victim out, who believed they were meeting to reconcile, but then Rios shot him multiple times from behind with a .38 caliber revolver. 'He was excited to do this. ... and after he did it, he boasted about,' prosecutor Max Bennett said at trial about Rios' killing of Lopez. The victim's body was discovered the following morning. In his appeal, Rios' attorney challenged the admissibility of forensic data surrounding the ShotSpotter gunfire detection system, suppression of audio recordings, and the handling of cell phone evidence. The Supreme Judicial Court said those claims lacked merit. The court also dismissed the defendant's claim of newly discovered evidence and allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel. It concluded there was overwhelming evidence supporting the conviction, according to the District Attorney's office. 'This case involved a calculated and cold-blooded murder,' said Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni in a statement. 'The Court's decision affirms the just outcome delivered by the jury and, we hope, is another step towards closure of the criminal justice process for the victim's family.' Cause of Westfield fatal fire determined Trustees reopen William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington for tours Markey wants answers from Verizon over lead in old phone lines Read the original article on MassLive.