After 5 years on remand and two trials, this afternoon it took a jury four hours of deliberations to acquit Darrington Luriano of murder. Luriano, who is now 23, was only 17 when he was charged for the January 2004 murder of Kareem “Butchie” Broaster. Broaster was gunned down in broad daylight in front of his home on North Creek with a 9 milimeter gun. He was shot 9 times and the murder was allegedly revenge after an earlier quarrel between Luriano and Broaster. Lauriano’s first trial in July of 2006 ended with a hung jury. But it was different today: despite two caution statements – the jury acquitted Luriano this afternoon. His defense attorney Carlo Mason says that apart from the coerced confession, the police had no other evidence against his client.
Carlo Mason, Defense Attorney
“He had been coerced and under duress he gave that statement which he was alleged to have confessed to the crime. They were to be taken or to be looked at in the same light because they were both, our contention to the jury was that they were both procured by the same efforts therefore they were to be treated the same, as both having been given or both having been created if you will under duress.
He is happy and he is dealing with a matter that is presently being taken care of, let me put it that way, and I expect that it will be soon be dealt with and that he will soon be a fully free man.”
And to repeat, Lauriano is still not free tonight because he has an unrelated charge of wounding pending. He should be granted bail on the next adjournment date for that case. In his 5 years on remand – Lauriano earned a reputation as an escape artist. He escaped from the Hattieville Prison in a prison break on September 8th of 2004 and wasn’t recaptured until October 29th 2004. He escaped again on October 13th of 2004. He was recaptured the following day.
