Brian Sanchez Duarte (Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office).
A jury in Georgia convicted a 32-year-old man for murdering a victim who had offered the suspect a ride in what authorities called an "execution-style" killing.
Brian Sanchez Duarte on Thursday was found guilty of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and received a life prison sentence in the death of 22-year-old Alinton Joel Rivera-Zuniga, the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office said in a press release issued to local media.
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In the early morning hours of Nov. 27, 2022, the suspect, victim and another man were at the Alta Gama event hall in Norcross, near Atlanta. The victim and the other man were in a red SUV and offered a ride to Duarte.
Duarte hopped into the SUV but became concerned that Rivera-Zuniga was armed. To prove that he was unarmed and posed no threat, Rivera-Zuniga stripped down to his underwear. The other man testified that he stopped the SUV and Duarte exited and walked around to the rear passenger door and ordered Rivera-Zuniga out of the vehicle.
That's when Duarte shot Rivera-Zuniga dead in an "execution-style" killing, according to prosecutors. The other man and Duarte drove away, leaving Rivera-Zuniga dead in the road.
htchThe jury deliberated for about two hours before rendering the guilty verdict.
"This was a senseless death," District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. "This verdict and sentencing send a message that deadly violence is uncalled for. We hope the outcome of this case helps the victim's family find solace."
