Jury Finds Guilty After Three Day Trial
Thomas James Valdez who was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Maralee Andreason, was found guilty this month of murder and possession of a firearm. Andreason was found in the couples apartment in March 2010, and it was determined that she had died from blunt force trauma to the head that caused her to bleed to death. Valdez did not report the death or call 911 and the body of his girlfriend was not found until almost 24 hours after she passed away. Valdez contended that Andreason had suffered a heart attack and had hit her head when she fell in the bathroom. Furthermore, Valdez’s defense attorney argued that Valdez and Andreason were in love and that Valdez had purchased a wedding ring in hopes of marriage.The jury apparently did not buy Valdez’s love story and sentencing will be conducted at a later date to see what penalties Valdez will be facing.
Murder Defense
Unfortunately murder cases aren’t as uncommon as they used to be. Along with the overall rise in violence in this country there has also been a continual increase in homicides. Violent crimes are a specific area of the law that is very unforgiving, as it should be. Although, a prosecuting attorney won’t be as lenient for plea deals on violent crimes, there are still possible deals to be had that could save the State a lot of money in setting up the prosecution. Therefore, an attorney can be valuable in obtaining a plea agreement or defending your innocence. Call a Utah Criminal Defense attorney for more information on defending a violent crime. 1.888.337.3235
