The wife of the illegal immigrant who laughed when he admitted he killed to Northern California sheriffs, is found guilty of murder for aiding her husband in his killing spree.
American citizen Janelle Monroy, 41, was convicted on Thursday of 10 charges including murder, attempted murder and carjacking, and possessing an assault rifle.
She argued that she feared husband Luis Bracamontes, 37, would have killed her if she didn’t help him, but the court rejected the Utah woman’s claim.
She will be sentenced on March 23 and could be condemned to life behind bars.
Janelle Monroy, from Utah listens in court as she is found guilty of murder on Thursday February 15, 2018 for aiding husband of 12-years Luis Bracamontes in his killing spree
Monroy, pictured in a former picture from social media, was found convicted of 10 charges including attempted murder and carjacking, and possessing an assault rifle
The two were married for 12 years.
Monroy played a role in Bracamontes’ murder of Sacramento, California Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver and Placer Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Davis Jr in 2014.
Prosecutors in court Thursday said Monroy willingly helped Bracamontes by moving his assault-style rifle from vehicle to stolen vehicle after he murdered Oliver and before he killed Davis Jr hours later.
‘She’s not a hostage … she’s not some browbeaten person locked in a room,’ a prosecutor said according to the Sacramento Bee.
The prosecutor also reminded jurors of surveillance footage that was played in court that revealed Monroy caressing her husband and checking the two of them into motels from their trip from Utah to Sacramento.
‘She’s the CEO here. It’s pretty easy to see if you watch them together,’ the prosecutor added.
To counteract her claim that she lived in fear of him, prosecutors pointed to the fact that she had multiple affairs during her marriage.
Prosecutor Rod Norgaard noted that Monroy has conceded she had numerous affairs during her 12-year marriage, and offered that as proof that she did not live in fear of him.
‘She couldn’t have been afraid if she had affairs. She would survive to do it again and again, these affairs,’ he said.
Luis Bracamontes smiles in court on February 9 after he admitted to killing two police officers
He was found guilty in the 2014 murders Placer Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Davis Jr. (left) and Sacramento Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver (right)
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Bracamontes after he was convicted by a separate jury.
When Bracamontes stood in trial, he laughed when he talked of his murders.
‘I wish I could have killed more of those motherf***ers,’ Bracamontes said, before Judge Steve White, according to the Sacramento Bee.
He is a Mexican citizen who repeatedly entered the United States illegally.
His case has been cited by President Donald Trump to illustrate problems with the nation’s immigration policy. She is a U.S. citizen.
The deputies were killed shortly after the couple arrived in Sacramento during what Monroy said was a road trip driven by Bracamontes’ drug-infused paranoia.
He has repeatedly blurted out in court that he killed the deputies and wished he had killed more.
In contrast, Monroy was silent and refrained from showing emotion as her verdict was read aloud.
However when the jury left, she began to cry.