Jacobo Vazquez | Homicide Watch DC

Marvin Palencia Sentenced to 30 Years for Jacobo Vazquez Murder

Ivan Natividad — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 15:13:58 -0400

A judge sentenced Marvin Palencia to 30 years in prison Friday for the 2010 shooting death of Jacobo Vazquez. Palencia will also serve an additional 16 months for one count of tampering with evidence.

"It was out of character for Mr. Palencia," Judge John Ramsey Johnson said. "In many ways he's a good man who did a terrible act."

On November 16, 2010 Vazquez's body was found in a cardboard box wrapped with duct tape on the side of westbound I-70 in Maryland. He had been missing for five days. An autopsy found that Vazquez suffered gunshot wounds to the torso, and one to the back of the head. One week later Palencia was arrested and held on suspicion of first-degree murder while armed in Vazquez's death.

Palencia was found guilty in June of first-degree murder while armed, tampering with physical evidence and related weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of Vazquez.

During the trial, prosecutors claimed that Palencia planned the murder after learning about an affair between his wife and Vazquez. But Palencia's defense attorneys argued that Palencia only wanted to scare Vazquez on the night of Nov. 11, 2010, but shot Vazquez in a storage room at their workplace when Vazquez drew a knife.

At trial, Palencia testified that after he learned of Vazquez's affair with his wife he bought a gun with intentions to "use it on myself." Palencia told jurors that the day of the murder he shot and killed Vazquez in self-defense, then wrapped his dead body up in plastic wrap and placed it in a cardboard box that he left on the side of a Maryland highway.

"There is nothing I can do to remedy what has occurred," Palencia said Friday. "I can only look for God's forgiveness and may God's will be done."

Marvin Palencia Found Guilty of Jacobo Vazquez Murder

Penny Ray — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 16:00:50 -0400

Marvin Palencia was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder, tampering with physical evidence and related weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 36-year-old Jacobo Vazquez.

Jurors in the case delivered their verdict after deliberating for approximately a day and a half.

Prosecutors alleged at trial that Palencia planned the murder after learning of a months-long affair between his wife and Vazquez. But Palencia’s defense attorneys argued that Palencia only wanted to scare Vazquez on the night of November 11, 2010, but became fearful after Vazquez pulled a knife from his shoe, so he shot him.

Vazquez's body was found in a cardboard box wrapped with duct tape on the side of I-70 in Maryland, five days after the fatal encounter he and Palencia had in a storage room at their place of employment. He suffered two gunshot wounds: one to the torso and one to the back of the head.

Palencia is scheduled to be sentenced October 11.

Jury Deliberations Begin in Marvin Palencia Murder Trial

Megan Arellano — Wed, 26 Jun 2013 19:18:51 -0400

On November 11, 2010, Marvin Palencia drank alcohol while sitting in his van, which was in the parking garage of a building in the 100 block of Constitution Avenue Northwest. He had with him in that van a recently purchased gun, which Palencia says he bought to use on himself. Then, Palencia spotted Jacobo Vazquez, a co-worker who had had an affair with his wife, and he decided to follow him into a storage room on the second floor of that parking garage. Vazquez never left the storage room alive.

Prosecutors in the murder trial against Palencia, 35, told jurors in closing arguments Wednesday that the murder was planned from start to finish, after Palencia learned of a months-long affair between his wife and 36-year-old Vazquez.

"[Palencia] knew exactly what was going to happen," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Canon said. "He was going to murder him." It was "a classic case of premeditated murder," he said.

But Palencia's defense attorneys argued that Palencia only wanted to scare Vazquez with his gun that evening, but became fearful after Vazquez pulled a knife from his shoe.

Vazquez's body was found in a box wrapped with duct tape along westbound I-70 in Maryland November 16, five days after that encounter in the garage.

Dr. Carol Allen, assistant medical examiner for the state of Maryland, testified that Vazquez suffered two gunshot wounds: one to the torso and one to the back of the head. Allen said that the wound on the back of Vazquez's head was a contact wound. To create the contact wound, the muzzle of the gun would have been pressed against the skin, she testified.

If it was an act of self defense, "how did Jacobo Vazquez end up with a contact wound on the back of his head?" Canon asked the jury Wednesday.

Palencia testified at trial that when he entered the storage room, Vazquez immediately started yelling at him and then pulled a knife from his shoe. Palencia said he shot the gun out of fear for his life, then covered Vazquez's head with a plastic bag, placed his body in a box, wrapped the box in duct tape and dumped it along I-70.

Retired Metropolitan Police Detective Monica Shields testified that she began investigating the case on Nov. 17 2010, a day after Vazquez's body was found. Shields said black gloves were found in a trash can on the second-floor parking garage level, where prosecutors believe Vazquez was killed.

No knife was ever recovered during the course of the investigation.

But James Whitehead, Palencia's defense attorney, argued that the government "didn't even bother to look" for evidence of a knife. The government "didn't want to know" anything that didn't point towards murder, Whitehead said.

Palencia is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed, evidence tampering and weapons charges in connection with Vazquez's death.

Jury deliberations in the case will resume Thursday morning.

Ivan Natividad contributed reporting.

“I had intentions of using it against myself,” Marvin Palencia Says About Gun Used to Murder Jacobo Vazquez

Megan Arellano — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 20:47:33 -0400

Marvin Palencia testified at trial Monday that when he learned explicit sexual details of the relationship between his wife and Jacobo Vasquez from a coworker, he contemplated suicide. His feelings, he said, were “the worst ever, really bad.” And later, when he shot and killed Vazquez, Palencia said, he acted out of panic.

Palencia, 35, is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed, evidence tampering and related weapons offenses in connection with the shooting death of 36-year-old Jacobo Vasquez, whose body was found in a cardboard box wrapped with duct tape on the side of westbound I-70 in Maryland November 16, 2010, five days after he went missing.

Prosecutors allege Palencia shot Vazquez twice in the laundry room of a building in the 100 block of Constitution Avenue Northwest, a building where they both worked, after learning that his wife and Vazquez were having an affair.

Palencia testified Monday that news of that affair almost pushed him over the edge.

“I felt my life was no longer worth anything and I had contemplated ending it,” Palencia said through an interpreter.

One night, after learning the details of the relationship between his wife and Vazquez, Palencia stood “very close” to the edge of his terrace and pictured himself “closing my eyes, spreading my arms and letting everything go,” he told the court.

A few days later, Palencia decided to have some drinks at a restaurant on University Avenue. “I thought I might be able to forget my troubles if I drank,” he testified. When he went outside that night to smoke a cigarette, a man approached him about purchasing a gun.

“I thought I could use it on myself,” Palencia told the court. “I had intentions of using it against myself.”

Palencia testified that Vazquez, though, became the aggressor after a verbal confrontation outside Vazquez's home on November 4.

Palencia said that Vazquez threatened him after he and his wife together confronted Vazquez about exaggerated details of the affair. A few days later, at their workplace, Vazquez opened his jacket, showed Palencia a knife and said that he better not get close "because it’s the last face you’ll see," Palencia testified.

Palencia said that on the evening of November 11 2010, he was simply visiting the workplace with no intention of shooting Vasquez. As Palencia sat in his van that night, with his recently purchased gun and drinking alcohol, he saw Vasquez enter a storage room in the parking garage. So Palencia exited his van with the gun and followed him, he said.

“I made the bad decision,” Palencia said. “I thought I’d go down to the room and show him the weapon and maybe scare him. I wanted to show him I wouldn’t be intimidated by him."

Palencia said that when he entered the storage room, Vasquez was kneeling near a cart, assembling tools for his shift. After seeing Palencia, Vasquez immediately retrieved a folding knife from inside his shoe and walked towards him, yelling, “What the f— are you [doing], when I told you not to be anywhere near me,” Palencia testified.

Palencia said that he told Vasquez to stay away, but felt "panic-stricken" when he continued to advance.

“It was a matter of seconds. I just shot and shot,” Palencia told the court.

He then packaged Vasquez’s body into a cardboard box, Palencia said.

The trial is scheduled to resume in Judge John Ramsey Johnson's courtroom Tuesday morning.

Defense Attorney: Marvin Palencia Shot and Killed Jacobo Vazquez in Self-Defense

Ivan Natividad — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 20:04:03 -0400

The way prosecutors tell it, Marvin Palencia premeditated the murder of 36-year-old Jacobo Vazquez after learning that his wife and Vazquez were having an affair. But Palencia's defense attorneys say their client acted in self-defense when he shot Vazquez on November 11, 2010.

Jurors heard these arguments Wednesday morning.

Palencia, 35, is charged with first-degree murder, evidence tampering, and related weapons offenses in connection with Vazquez's death.

Vazquez's body was found in a cardboard box wrapped with duct tape on the side of westbound I-70 in Maryland on November 16, 2010, five days after he went missing. Prosecutors allege Palencia shot Vazquez twice in the laundry room of a building in the 100 block of Constitution Avenue Northwest, a building where they both worked.

Palencia's defense attorney Gabriel Diaz told jurors that Palencia acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Vazquez.

"Vazquez came at him with a knife, so Mr. Palencia shoots [him] in self-defense," Diaz said. "This was not a plan masterminded by Mr. Palencia; his instincts of self-preservation took over. He had to act to defend himself, or that might have been Jacobo Vazquez sitting in that chair with us today."

Prosecutors said that Palencia and his wife separated in the summer of 2010, and in October of that year, Palencia's wife moved into an apartment sharing a lease with Vazquez. Tensions soon escalated when Vazquez began telling co-workers about his affair with Palencia's wife.

"[Palencia] plotted, he planned and he schemed for days, weeks, the murder of his friend," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Flynn told the jury. "Mr. Palencia's actions were the definition of premeditation."

Karla Villacorta, a supervisor from the Red Coat cleaning company where the men worked, testified Wednesday that Palencia would confide in her about the relationship between his wife and Vazquez.

"[Palencia] was suspicious," Villacorta said. "When he found out about [Vazquez], he said he wanted to do something crazy."

Villacorta also told the court that after Vazquez went missing she found traces of blood in the building's laundry and engineer storage rooms, two places prosecutors argue were accessible to a short list of employees that include Palencia.

"As an engineer he had access to both rooms where blood was found, the blood of Vazquez," Flynn said. "[Palencia] shot him twice and then tried to cover it up."

The trial will resume Thursday in Judge John Ramsey Johnson's courtroom.

Marvin Palencia Pleads Innocent in Shooting Death of Former Co-Worker

Laura Amico — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:07:10 -0500

Marvin Palencia pleaded innocent this morning to fatally shooting his former co-worker who had been romantically involved with Palencia's wife.

Palencia is charged with premeditated first-degree murder while armed, evidence tampering, and weapons charges.

Prosecutors allege that Palencia believed he had evidence that Jacobo Vazquez was romantically involved with Palencia's estranged wife. On Nov. 11, 2010, Palencia shot Vazquez in the Constitution Avenue office building that they shared, wrapped Vazquez' body in plastic wrap and duct tape, placed it in a box, and dumped that box along westbound I-70 in Maryland, prosecutors allege.

A trial is set for November 2012.

Additional Time to Indict Marvin Palencia After Plea Negotiations Fail

Laura Amico — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:08:00 -0400

Prosecutors reported today that approximately seven months of plea negotiations with Marvin Palencia have failed and that they are refocusing on securing an indictment in the case.

Palencia, 35, is suspected of shooting Jacobo Vazquez, a former co-worker who had been romantically involved with his wife, then wrapping the body in a cardboard box with plastic wrap and duct tape and dumping it alongside a roadway.

AUSA Emily Miller told Jackson that the government had been in plea negotiations with Palencia since February, but that no agreement had been reached.

Palencia's defense attorney, Lauren Bernstein, did not oppose an extension to the nine-month indictment deadline. By law, without an extension, prosecutors would have had to secure the indictment before Aug. 22.

Palencia is due back in court Nov. 4 for a status hearing. He is currently in custody.

Marvin Palencia to Stand Trial for Death of Former-Coworker

Laura Amico — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:09:20 -0500

Marvin Palencia, accused of shooting a former co-worker who had been romantically involved with his wife, then wrapping the body in a cardboard box with plastic wrap and duct tape and dumping it alongside a roadway, will stand trial in the case, a D.C. Superior Court ruled Friday.

Palencia is next due in court Feb. 11, 2011 for a felony status conference.

Updates in cases of Angel Morse and Jacobo Vazquez

Laura Amico — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:06:12 -0500

Photo of Angel Morse from Metro Police

Jacobo Vazquez in photo from Metro PD

Metro Police have launched a new Unsolved Cases/ Homicides poster viewer on their website, including some new posters in recent cases. Among them, the deaths of Angel Morse (top) and Jacobo Vazquez.

According to police, Morse is believed to have been killed by her father, Robert Carter, who is next due in court March 4 for a felony status conference.

In Vazquez' death, a former co-worker has been charged with first-degree murder. That man, Marvin Palencia, is due in court Friday for a preliminary hearing.

The Week Ahead

Laura Amico — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:18:48 -0500

Following are scheduled court appearances for murder cases. This information is current as of Friday, 2 p.m. and will be re-verified throughout the week. Please remember that court dates can change, even at the last minute. To view the docket of a case please go to the D.C. Courts website and search by the defendant's name.

Monday, Dec. 6, 2010

9:30 a.m. Kwan Kearney in courtroom 215 (Judge Herbert Dixon) for a preliminary hearing in a first degree murder case. The victim, Jamal Wilson, was shot Sunday Nov. 14, 2010 on P Street NW D.C. Kearney is represented by attorney Gene Johnson. The case number is CF1 021604. Charging documents are online here.

9:25 a.m. Jeremy Risper in courtroom 215 (Judge Herbert Dixon) for a preliminary hearing in a first degree murder case. The victim, Jamal Wilson, was shot Sunday Nov. 14, 2010 on P Street NW D.C. Risper is represented by attorney Dana Page. The case number is CF1 021764. Charging documents are online here.

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010

9:30 a.m. Joseph Spinks in courtroom 310 (Judge Lynn Leibovitz) for a preliminary hearing in a first degree murder case. The victim, Delonte Butler, was killed Saturday, Sept. 25. 2010 in southeast D.C. Spinks is represented by attorney Eugene Ohm. The case number is CF1 018278.

Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010

9:30 a.m. Ramona Gray in courtroom 320 (Judge Gerald Fisher) for a felony status conference in a first degree murder case. The victim, Shemese Grant, was stabbed to death Aug 31 in a deli parking lot in southeast D.C. Gray is represented by attorney Premal Dharia. The case number is CF1 016312. Charging documents are online here.

Friday, Dec. 10, 2010

9:30 a.m. Kwan Kearney in courtroom 215 (Judge Herbert Dixon) for a preliminary hearing in a first degree murder case. The victim, Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr., was shot Monday Nov. 8 in northeast D.C.'s Trinidad neighborhood. Kearney is represented by attorney John Briley. The case number is CF1 022068. Charging documents are online here.

9:30 a.m. Larnell Allen in courtroom 215 (Judge Herbert Dixon) for a preliminary hearing in a first degree murder case. The victim, Joseph Alonzo Sharps Jr., was shot Monday Nov. 8 in northeast D.C.'s Trinidad neighborhood. Allen is represented by attorney Lauren Bernstein. The case number is CF1 022108. Charging documents are online here.

9:30 a.m. Marvin Palencia in courtroom 302 (Judge Michael Rankin) for a preliminary hearing in a first degree murder case. The victim, Jacobo Vazquez, is believed to have been shot to death Nov. 11 at his workplace on Constitution Avenue in D.C. Palencia is represented by attorney Lauren Bernstein. The case number is CF1 021874. Charging documents are online here.

Man Accused of Killing Former Co-Worker was Upset About a Romantic Affair

Laura Amico — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:00:44 -0500

Defendant Marvin Palencia, in photo from Metro Police

Murder defendant Marvin Palencia believed he had evidence that a former co-worker was romantically involved with his estranged wife when he shot and killed the man in the Constitution Avenue office building that they shared, charging documents against Palencia allege.

Jacobo Vazquez' body was found Tuesday Nov. 16 in a box alongside westbound I-70 in Maryland. According to court documents, Vazquez is believed to have been killed the day he went missing, Nov. 11.

A witness interviewed by police said Palenica had recently read a text message on his wife's cell phone that confirmed she and Vazquez were having an affair. The witness said Palencia "had a lot of anger inside of him over the affair, and that he contemplated hurting himself and/or [Vazquez]," according to the affidavit.

Palencia, who was charged with Vazquez' death on Monday, waived his Fifth Amendment rights in an interview with police and admitted to shooting Vazquez, wrapping his body in plastic wrap and duct tape, placing it in a box, and dumping that box along the roadway.

Charging documents and link follow:

Arrest made after body found in box
Washington Post: Crime Scene | Nov 21, 2010
Quote: Vazquez, of the 1100 block of Massachusetts Avenue NW, worked in building maintenance with Palencia, who became the focus of a police search after the body was discovered. Police said he was arrested "without incident" in Hyattsville about 3:30 p.m. Saturday and charged with first-degree murder.
Arrest Made In Slaying Of Man Found In Box
Associated Press | Nov 21, 2010
Quote: Police say 34-year-old Marvin Palencia was arrested without incident Saturday afternoon in Hyattsville, where he lives. He's been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of 36-year-old Jacobo Vazquez of Washington.
Arrest in Case of Body Found in Box
NBC Washington | Nov 22, 2010
Quote: Marvin Palencia, 34, was arrested around 3:30 p.m. in Hyattsville, Md. He is charged with the murder of 36-year-old Jacoba Vazquez.