L-R: Alejandro Cantu, Gustavo Cantu and Jacob Ventura (Photos source: Brown County Jail)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Prosecutors want three suspects from an April 2022 murder to be tried together, according to a motion filed Thursday.
Gustavo Cantu, Alejandro Cantu and Jacob Ventura are each charged with being party to the crime of first-degree intentional homicide for the shooting death of Randall Denny at Perkins and Western avenues on April 30, 2022. Police have said the murder appeared to a drug deal.
Currently, the three men have separate cases before different judges, due to the procedure used for assigning cases as they are filed. So far, only Alejandro Cantu has a trial date set, for Feb. 9.
But in motions filed in all three cases, the state argues the cases should be joined.
“The grounds for this motion are that each of the defendants are alleged to have participated in the same series of acts resulting in the death of the crime victim. As indicated in their respective Criminal Complaints, each of the co-defendants is alleged to have committed the crime of First Degree Intentional Homicide as a Party to the Crime. The probable cause sections of the Criminal Complaints are nearly identical, as they outline the same course of conduct and a clear concert of action on the part of the three co-defendants during the time frame leading up to, during and after the alleged homicide. The interests of judicial economy are clearly met by holding one jury trial, rather than three separate, but nearly identical trials. The State would anticipate calling more the 50 identical witnesses in each case, for the purpose of demonstrating a nearly identical set of facts and circumstances. Further, the State is not aware of any prejudice to these three defendants, as the State is not aware of any statement of a co-defendant which implicates another of the co-defendants,” wrote District Attorney David Lasee.
None of the defense attorneys have formally replied to the motion.
Motions hearings before two of the judges are planned for Friday, with the third one on March 26.
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