Thursday, May 15, 2008

Second Defendant Convicted In ’07 Trooper Slaying

   The second of two suspects in the 2007 slaying of Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Calvin Jenks has been found guilty of committing the murder.

   Jenks, 24, who had formerly been assigned to serve through the Lawrenceburg District, died as the result of a single gunshot wound to the head on January 6, 2007. Officials reported Jenks had stopped a car for speeding on State Route 14, near Memphis. During the stop, Jenks was shot, his body dumped on the side of the roadway.

   Authorities were able to follow the path of the two teens allegedly involved, tracking them to a motel in Nashville. There they were placed under arrest and a considerable amount of marijuana seized.

   Defendant Orlando Garcia, 20, of Austin, Texas, stood trial in connection with the murder in 2007 and was found guilty of facilitation of first degree murder. Codefendant Alejandro Chevo Guana,18, also of Austin, stood trial in Covington last week.

   Conceding that Guana was the trigger man, defense attorneys argued that the shooting had not been premeditated. Prosecutors, however, argued that the pair had driven from Texas with the intent of selling several bags of marijuana in Nashville, and that “they were prepared to kill a police officer…” in order to do so.

   Jurors deliberated briefly before returning to the courtroom Wednesday afternoon and pronouncing Guana guilty. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Thursday morning. The conviction carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

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