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.
