Kickapoo Murder Trial Underway in Del Rio Federal Court
By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2019
An eight women and four men federal jury is now hearing the case of United States of America versus Adan Suke, Jr., a Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas member who is charged with Second Degree Murder of Carlos Trevino, a Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas member at the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Reservation in southern Maverick County near Eagle Pass, Texas, on November 3, 2006, in the United States District Court, Western District of Texas, Del Rio Division, before United States District Judge Alia Moses.
According to the indictment, Suke is alleged to have stricken Carlos Trevino on his head with a tire lug wrench on November 3, 2006 within the exterior boundaries of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas reservation.
Opening statements and the first couple of witnesses were started on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 in U.S. District Judge Alia Moses courtroom and the trial is expected to go until Thursday, June 20th.
Adan Suke, Jr. was charged in a federal grand jury indictment issued on January 9, 2008, with three counts, including Second Degree Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Assault resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, in that fatal incident that occurred on November 3, 2006.
Suke faces up to life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment if convicted in Count I for Second Degree Murder and up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release if convicted of Counts II (assault with a deadly weapon) and Count III (assault resulting in serious bodily injury).
Suke is presumed innocent until found guilty by a federal jury. Suke has plead not guilty and the United States government has the burden of proof to present witnesses and evidence at trial for the jury to determine if Suke is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Assistant United States Attorney Justin Chung stated in his Opening Statement that Suke and two other Kickapoo tribal members, including Carlos Trevino, had been drinking alcohol on November 3, 2006 and that Suke struck Trevino multiple times on the head with a hard object after Trevino broke Suke’s truck window with a beer bottle, leaving Trevino injured on the ground while driving off. Trevino was transported to Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center for medical treatment and later transferred to Wilford Hall in San Antonio, Texas. Trevino died at Wilford Hall from his injuries.
Defense counsel Robert Garza of Del Rio, Texas pointed out in his Opening Statement that Trevino’s autopsy report signaled multiple factors contributing to Trevino’s death and that any of these multiple factors may have caused the death of Trevino and to keep an open mind on these multiple factors.
Chung noted that the case had taken almost 13 years to bring to trial because Suke had gone to go live in the Kickapoo’s reservation in Nacimiento, Coahuila, Mexico for 12 years and that he was finally arrested upon his return to the United States. Suke was arrested on August 28, 2018.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul T. Harle is co-counsel with Chung for the United States government.
The trial is expected to conclude on Thursday, June 20, 2019.
Under American law, a criminal indictment are merely allegations or charges and a defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty in a court at law.
