Hate Crime Killer Faces Death Penalty
RIVERSIDE, CA - A man convicted in the racially motivated gang killing of a 13-year-old African-American boy in Riverside, Calif., faces the possibility he will be executed.
A jury Monday found Daniel Murillo Salgado, 31, guilty of the 2002 fatal shooting of University Heights Middle School student Markess Lancaster, The (Riverside) Press-Enterprise reported.
Investigators say they believe Lancaster was targeted because he was black, and because Lancaster, his brother and a friend were wrongly thought by Salgado to be rival gang members.
Authorities said a vehicle pulled alongside the vehicle the three boys were riding in and Salgado started shooting, killing Lancaster.
The jury will reconvene April 21 to hear evidence before deciding whether to recommend the death sentence or life in prison without parole.
Three other defendants in the Lancaster case have either pleaded guilty or have been convicted, the newspaper said.
