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Diaz pleads guilty to killing wifeFaces possible life sentence in Eureka shootingBy Joel DavisTtnes-StMidani staff writerEUREKA. — Facing a lengthy trial that his attorney predicted would be “ugly,” a 26-year-old Eureka man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a double shooting in June that killed his estranged wife and injured, her sister.Alejandro M. Diaz, 26, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon before his scheduled preliminary hearing Tuesday in. Eureka Municipal Court.Diaz fatally shot his 24-year-old wife, Lorraine Sue Diaz, and wounded the victim s sister, Lorene K. Kester, 25, June 22 at Kester’s A Street home. He was arrested after he turned himself in to the Eureka Police Department June 26.Diaz, who is. scheduled to be' sentenced Nov. 22, faces 21 years to life in state prison... Under the terms of the agreement between the defense and prosecution, he will have an opportunity .before he is sentenced to explain to the judge his version of what happened the night of the shootings.Diaz entered the pleas after his attorney, John Young, negotiated with the district attorney’s office to reduce the original charges of first-degree murder of .Lorraine1 Diaz and attempted murder of Kester. He also pleaded guilty to an additional charge of using a firearm while committing a crime.Dressed in orange prison coveralls, Diaz stood auietly in the jury box while Judge Harold Neville explained the revised charges. He whispered “yes” each time Neville offered him the chance to plead guilty, wiping tears from his eyes as his voice began to quiver. Several of Diaz’s family members and friends, many who had been scheduled to testify at the preliminary hearing, wept as he entered the pleas.Young told the court the shootings were “an American tragedy.”The defense attorney said there was never any doubt Diaz committed 'the shootings; be said, motive,ALEJANDRO M. DIAZAvoided long, ''ugly' trialnot guilt, would have been a key issue had the case gone to trial.“There was nothing more in 'this world that this guy loved more than his wife,” he said. “It would have been a very lengthy trial and it would have been a very ugly trial. I would .have had to expose his: wife’s infidelities.”Lorraine Diaz had separated from her husband and was staying at Kester’s home June 22. During the early morning hours, Diaz asked her outside to talk. After she came outside with Kester, Diaz pulled out a 22-caliber handgun and began shooting, wounding Kester. Diaz shot his wife inside the home after she ran there to hide. She was pronounced dead when police arrived at the .scene. Kester W3S hospitalized and eventually released.Deputy District Attorney Max Cardoza, who had been, discussing the plea agreement with Young for several days, said he is very satisfied with the deal.“My position from the beginning was 'that I. was willing to 'discuss second-degree murder,” he said. “I thought it was the most likely result had we gone to trial because the emotional state of (Diaz) would have .made it. difficult, for a jury to find, it premeditated or deliberate, which are conditions of first-degree murder.”
Newspaper Details
Times Standard
Eureka, California, US
Wed, Oct 12, 1988
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Kelli C.
USA 09 Apr 2025
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