A Maryland appeals court has upheld the conviction of an illegal immigrant charged with killing a 63-year-old Bethesda woman and hog-tying and robbing three others.
A three-judge panel on the Court of Special Appeals on Wednesday affirmed the rulings of a Montgomery County Circuit Court judge during Jose Garcia-Perlera’s May 2009 trial. A jury convicted Garcia-Perlera of attacking elderly women in their homes in Bethesda, Potomac and Chevy Chase. One victim, Mary Havenstein, was beaten to death.
On appeal, Garcia-Perlera argued that the cases should have been tried separately, some evidence seized from his home should have been supressed, and several charges should have been merged for sentencing puproses.
The appeals court rejected all of those claims, its opinion says.
Garcia-Perlera has been sentenced to life in prison.
