Donicio Salazar Jr. goes by the nickname, "life", and tonight life…..in prison or death by hanging is what the 21 year old is facing after he was convicted of murder. After three hours of deliberations, this afternoon a jury of 5 men and 7 women found Salazar guilty of the June 2004 murder of Rodney August. It was alleged Salazar viciously chopped August as he sat with a female friend on the banks of the Macal River in the middle of the afternoon of June 28th. August died 9 hours later but not before telling police who chopped him. That deathbed statement and testimony helped seal the case against Salazar. Rodney's father Alberto August sat through the entire two week trial and gave us his reaction to the verdict.
Alberto August, Father of Deceased
"I am happy with the outcome of the proceedings but it does not take away from the fact that my son is dead. I want to use this opportunity to thank the policemen for the good job that they did in regards to the investigation. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the prosecutor, Audrey Matura; she has put a lot of work into the case. And I am satisfied with the outcome but like I said, today my son is dead and it doesn't change that."
Keith Swift,
What do you wish to happen to Mr. Salazar?
Alberto August,
"Well like everything else, I will leave the law to take its course. I have faith in the judicial system of this country."
Salazar will be sentenced next Friday. He was defended by Hubert Elrington who will now prepare mitigation please for his day of sentencing.
