Appeals court questions teen's confession to killing Garner couple
The state Court of Appeals on Tuesday vacated the life sentences of a man convicted in the shooting deaths of a Garner couple five years ago, questioning whether his confession to police was voluntary.
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Authorities said the shootings were a case of mistaken identity, noting a rival gang member used to live in the Mendoza's home.
Prosecutors used a video recording of Santillan's interview with police as evidence during the trial, but the three-judge Court of Appeals panel noted that the teen had asked for an attorney at some point, but police continued to speak with him. Santillan eventually waived his right to counsel.
The appellate court said the trial judge didn't include an exchange between Santillan and a lead investigator with the Wake County Sheriff's Office in determining whether Santillan's statements were voluntary, so it sent the case back to Wake County Superior Court to determine whether the video recordings should have been shown to jurors.
In light of questions over Santillan's statements, the court vacated his life sentences until the issue is resolved.
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