‘The Defendant Was Motivated by the Idea of Revenge,’ Prosecution States in Homicide Trial Closing

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On April 4, before DC Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan, the prosecution and defense delivered closing statements in a homicide trial hinging on revenge.

Oscar Ramos, 34, is charged with first-degree murder while armed, two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault with intent to kill while armed for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of 50-year-old Pedro Alvarado Melendez. The incident occurred on May 28, 2015, on Interstate 295 North at Exit One, in Southwest DC. The incident left another individual suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.

In their closing statement, the prosecution claimed, “Ramos was the person who murdered Pedro Alvarado and shot [the surviving victim].”

The prosecution claimed Alvarado’s family members never expected the murder to and didn’t know “who to put their finger to,” for the murder.

According to the prosecution, witnesses told the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) “exactly” what Ramos had done to “kill the man he [Ramos] believed killed his father.”

“The defendant was motivated by the idea of revenge,” the prosecution stated.

The prosecution reviewed two Facebook accounts allegedly tied to Ramos. They showed several screenshots and time stamps of Ramos, portraying Rosa Lopez. It was a “catfish” identity attempting to stalk Alvarado’s schedule and location, which they argue lured Alvarado leading up to the murder.

The prosecution presented the address book of the Rosa Lopez Facebook account, which had identical contact information to Ramos’s own.

“Rosa Lopez is Oscar Ramos,” the prosecution pronounced.

“All of the evidence put together over years… points in one direction and that is toward the defendant,” the prosecution concluded.

Defense attorney McCoy argued, “If you think [Ramos] probably committed these offenses, this is not enough and you must acquit,” insisting a sliver of doubt is enough.

According to the defense, some of the witness testimonies were “bought testimonies” because the witnesses were informants for the FBI.

The defense also claimed the case is a “puzzle that is missing a lot of pieces,” leaving reasonable doubt that Ramos is guilty.

“Think of a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle,” the prosecution stated, adding “You can have one piece missing and still know what the picture is.”

Parties will reconvene when jury deliberations are concluded.

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