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Killer sentenced to life for gunning down couple By Steve Zalusky A Cook County judge has spared the life of the man who killed his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend in Prospect Heights three years ago. Judge John Scotillo ruled Monday that while 36-year-old Gregorio Campuzano is eligible for the death penalty, he should instead spend the rest of his life in prison without parole. After the hearing, victim Edgar Cortez’s half-brother, 22-year-old Fidel Flores, said the decision brought him closure. “I don’t think the death penalty would have brought as much closure,” Flores said. “I don’t feel pity for him. I want him to suffer the rest of his life and think about what he did.” Scotillo said he considered various factors, including Campuzano’s criminal history, the victim impact statement and psychiatric opinions. Campuzano was found guilty of the Nov. 7, 2004 shooting of Yolanda Garcia Cuellar, 38, and Cortez, 32. They were gunned down in a car parked outside their apartment on Piper Lane in Prospect Heights. Campuzano’s public defender, Jim Mullenix, said his client will appeal. Mullenix argued against the death sentence, saying a psychiatrist judged Campuzano’s intelligence to be in the “low-average” range and adding that he has no prior record. He noted that Campuzano has maintained perfect discipline during his three years in jail. He said Campuzano initially went to visit the couple just to talk. But Mullenix said Campuzano told him Cortez kicked him in the leg and was making “some rear movement” when Campuzano took the gun and shot them. Prosecutor Cathy Nauheimer, however, said the crime happened because Campuzano was jealous Garcia Cuellar left him for Cortez. “Apparently she was correct in her estimation of what kind of person was involved,” Nauheimer said. She said the victims were “sitting ducks” who had no time to get out of the car. She said Campuzano “took the law into his own hands” and that he had plenty of time to think about the crime before he committed it. On Monday, Scotillo heard testimony on Campuzano’s behalf from his cousin, Marcelina Aranda. Aranda, who grew up near Campuzano in a small Mexican farming village, said her cousin’s father, a heavy drinker, used to beat him and throw him out of the house. She said Campuzano was forced to leave grade school and tend sheep for his father. Aranda, who later shared an apartment in Chicago with Campuzano, said he kept to himself, going out occasionally to play dominoes or basketball in a local park. She said he was dedicated to his family, regularly sending money to relatives and acting as a loving godfather to her daughter. She said that prior to being involved with Garcia Cuellar, his only romantic attachment was to a girl in Mexico. But her father disapproved of Campuzano because he was poor and the son of a drunk. The judge also heard from Jose Bahena, who worked with Campuzano at Industrial Steel Construction Inc. in Hodgkins, where Campuzano was arrested. He described Campuzano as a hard and dedicated worker. Throughout the testimony, Campuzano leaned against a table, his head tilted against the palm of one hand. When Scotillo asked if he had anything to say, he said no. |
