Prosecution rests after calling six witnesses

After calling six witnesses, the prosecution rested its case yesterday morning in the ongoing retrial of Franklin Cabrera Cepeda Jr. for the alleged killing of a man inside a karaoke bar in San Jose in 1999.

Defense attorney Colin Thompson took his turn calling in witnesses yesterday, including detective Jeffrey Olopai, former police sergeant Joseph Aldan, and Emiliana Angui.

Olopai said he showed up at the Yellow House Karaoke where the crime happened on March 1, 1999, as a responding police officer and that he prepared a preliminary report about it.

Aldan said he was involved in the arrest of Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero, who was the first one charged in the case and was subsequently acquitted. Aldan testified that they recovered two knives in Deleon Guerrero’s car when they arrested him. He doesn’t know, however, if one of those knives was the murder weapon and could not recall whether Deleon Guerrero confessed to the crime.

Aldan said he was not involved in the investigation of Cepeda and his co-defendant George Ilo.

Angui testified that Melvin Cabrera, Cepeda’s uncle, is her former boyfriend. She remembers telling police that she saw Cabrera cleaning a Rambo-type knife but could not recall if it was two weeks after the murder of Rong Zhou, also known as Matthew.

The prosecution alleges that Cabrera was the owner of the survival knife used in the crime.

Testifying for the government on Sept. 27, Cepeda’s co-defendant, George Ilo, narrated how he and Cepeda entered Yellow House Karaoke, then robbed and killed Zhou.

Ilo, who has already pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal, testified that their motive was to get money from the victim so they could buy “ice.” Ilo said he had a knife while Cepeda was armed with a baseball bat when they entered the karaoke bar.

Cepeda’s retrial is basically the third trial involving the murder of Zhou.

In 2000, the OAG charged Jeffrey Deleon Guerrero with murder of Zhou but he was later acquitted.

Police later identified Cepeda and George Ilo as suspects in the murder and charges were filed against them.

In January 2005, the jury returned a verdict finding Cepeda guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, aggravated assault and battery, assault with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy. He was sentenced to 66 years in prison.

Cepeda appealed. In November 2009, the CNMI Supreme Court vacated Cepeda’s convictions and ordered a new trial.

Assistant attorneys general Russell Lorfing and Peter B. Prestley are prosecuting the case. Defense attorney Colin Thompson is representing Cepeda.