Anti-Immigration Activist Convicted of Two Murders
In June 2009 we first picked up on the story of Arizona anti-immigrant “activist” Shawna Forde, who was accused of leading a murderous home invasion gang that killed a man and his 9-year old daughter, and wounded the man’s wife. Forde ran a group called Minutemen American Defense, whose website (no longer online) contained racist rants against “subhuman Mexicans.”
Since then, LGF author Wrenchwench has been keeping tabs on the story in her LGF Pages as the trial progressed, and today she noted that Shawna Forde has been convicted of two counts of first degree murder.
Click to enlargeA Pima County jury convicted Shawna Forde today of two counts of first-degree murder in the May 30, 2009 deaths of Arivaca residents Raul Junior Flores and his 9-year-old daughter, Brisenia.
The jury also convicted Forde of attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Flores’ wife, Gina Gonzalez, as well as related aggravated assault and robbery counts.
Gonzalez started crying as soon as the first guilty verdict, the killing of her daughter, was read just before noon in a packed courtroom at Pima County Superior Court.
The jury deliberated for seven hours over two days. Jurors will now be asked if the death penalty ought to be considered.
On the first day of the trial, which has gained national attention, Gonzalez testified her husband woke her to say the police were at the door. The woman at the door identified herself and the man with her as law enforcement officers looking for fugitives, Gonzalez said.
When her husband questioned the veracity of their story, Gonzalez said the gunman opened fire, shooting her husband and Gonzalez. As Gonzalez played dead on the floor, the gunman fired two bullets into their youngest daughter’s head, despite the little girl’s pleas. Their oldest daughter was spending the night at her grandmother’s house.
Moments after the couple and two accomplices left, Gonzalez testified the woman returned to find her on the phone with 911 and called out to the gunman to finish her off. Gonzalez said she fled to the kitchen, armed herself and fired back when the gunman tried to kill her again. He then fled.