A SUPERIOR Court of Guam jury yesterday found Mark Bamba Angoco not guilty of the murder of another man that occurred nearly two decades ago.
The near month-long trial came to a close just yesterday afternoon with the jury returning its verdict after four days of deliberation.
This was the second trial for Angoco. He was accused of plotting and recruiting the help of others to kill Darwin Datuin, a plot prosecutors had alleged was fueled by money and drugs.
Angoco previously was found guilty of aggravated murder in 1995 but had his conviction overturned during an appeal to the Supreme Court. He was re-indicted and began his second trial early in October on a single charge of aggravated murder.
The victim, Datuin, was murdered by a single shot to the head on Oct. 29, 1994. Datuin’s body was dumped in the jungle area of Radio Barrigada where it was found days later.
Angoco’s co-defendant, John JR Pangelinan, is already serving a life sentence in this case after having been found guilty of the murder in 1995. Pangelinan is believed to have been the shooter, after the gun used to kill Datuin was found in his home.
“We knew this would be a difficult case to prove, largely because it took place so long ago. Despite the time lapse, the Datuin family showed continual strength and support throughout the trial; a big thank you to them,” said Assistant Attorney General Gerald Henderson, who prosecuted the case.
“The jury was very methodical and requested playback of witness testimony and asked for stipulations to be re-read to them; they were very attentive,” he added.
Jury finds Angoco not guilty
- Friday, 02 Nov 2012 03:00am
- BY GERALDINE CASTILLO | VARIETY NEWS STAFF
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