Defendant Remains Silent in Triple Murder Trial

The man who is accused of murdering 44-year-old Alarice Andrews, 39-year-old Vidal Yuman, and 19-year-old Maria Lucas chose to remain silent during the trial today.

25-year-old Kyle Zetina chose not to testify to assert his innocence. This was against his attorney’s advice.

The incident occurred in June 2019. Their bodies were discovered in Andrewin’s home after a welfare check was requested by a concerned colleague. Andrewin and Cacho were found on a bed, while Lucas lay on the floor. All three had been fatally shot. Police later arrested Zetina and 18-year-old Shawn Flores and charged them with three counts of murder. In June 2024, Flores was acquitted of the charges, leaving Zetina as the sole defendant.

The prosecution’s case heavily relies on a caution statement in which Zetina confessed to shooting the three victims. The defence argued that the caution statement was not voluntarily made, contending that it was obtained under duress and should not be considered credible evidence. They also highlighted the lack of eyewitnesses and questioned the reliability of the three witnesses whose statements were admitted into evidence. Zetina’s attorney believed that the admission of these statements significantly impacted Zetina’s decision to remain silent during the trial.

Although there were no eyewitnesses, three initially hostile witnesses had their statements admitted into evidence after a trial within a trial proved their credibility.

The physical evidence included the bodies of the victims, found with gunshot wounds to the head, and additional police interviews and oral statements made by Zetina.

The next court date is scheduled for January 6th, 2025.