Christian Rivera-Pica and Joel Pagan-Garcia (Photos courtesy: Brown County Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Attorney Heather Richmond will not represent both men charged in a 2023 murder after all.
Christian Rivera-Pica, 41, and Joel Pagan-Garcia, 40, are charged with party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide for the November 2023 murder of Carlos Otero-Aviles on Green Bay’s west side.
During several previous court hearings, Richmond and both men have stated they want her to represent both of them.
Typically, defendants have their own attorneys, as they may have differing defense strategies, offers from prosecutors, and the evidence against them may not the same. At a previous hearing, Rivera-Pica and Pagan-Garcia both agreed they would waive the conflict of interest to allow Richmond to represent them both.
Prosecutors have opposed the idea, worrying it could create items for both men to appeal.
In court Tuesday, Richmond withdrew as counsel for Rivera-Pica, court records show.
No new attorney is listed on online court records. Rivera-Pica is scheduled to returns to court Feb. 27 for a status conference.
Pagan-Garcia is also in court on Feb. 27, but before a different judge.
No trial dates have been set for either.
The shooting happened Nov. 3, 2023, in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Western Avenue. Witnesses said the incident took place during a party. No one else was injured.
Rivera-Pica denied involvement in the shooting to police. He said he was buying beer at the time of the shooting, but police could not confirm the alibi with the stores, according to the criminal complaint. Pagan-Garcia also denied involvement in the shooting.
Otero-Aviles told bystanders “Christian did it,” before he was taken to the hospital.
Phone GPS records placed Rivera-Pica at the shooting scene at the time of the incident, the complaint states. Otero-Aviles was shot in the abdomen, causing his death, according to the autopsy cited in the complaint.
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