A jury delivered a guilty verdict in a nineteen-year-old homicide case before DC Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman on March 25.
Oscar Diaz-Romero, 47, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder for his involvement in the fatal shooting of Jose Noel Coreas-Carcaro, 22, and Jose Molina, 27, in a restaurant on the 2400 block of 18th Street, NW, on Aug. 9, 1997. After the shooting, Diaz-Romero left the United States and traveled to El Salvador, where he was extradited from in January 2025.
Prosecutors argued Diaz-Romero brought a revolver to a fist fight between two rival gangs and shot two individuals. Diaz-Romero made the decision to use a revolver and kill these two young men, prosecutors said.
Following less than two days of deliberations, a jury found Diaz-Romero guilty on both counts.
Diaz-Romero’s attorney, Julie Swaney, requested that each jury member state whether they agreed with the verdict. Judge Edelman confirmed that all twelve jurors were in agreement.
Judge Edelman then thanked the panel and emphasized that he trusts their judgement
Parties are slated to reconvene on June 5 for sentencing.
