Nico Arquero was a handsome young man originally from Ponce,
Puerto Rico, but currently living in New York City. He’s a regular at the gym
with a black belt in karate. He’s 25, 6’tall and 180 lbs of pure muscle. Being
Puerto Rican, he had a slight brown tone to his skin with dark brown hair and
eyes. When he wasn’t in the gym, he worked with immigrant groups. Recently,
Hurricane Maria had devastated Puerto Rico, and when tens of thousands of his
fellow islanders had to evacuate to Florida, he volunteered to go to Florida
and help them. He was assigned to a small town in the panhandle of Florida,
Port Jackson. The port had silted up years ago and it was a tiny hamlet of
about 150 people, and now the governor had approved 100 refugees to settle
there.
Nico arrived and took a small apartment in an abandoned office building downtown. The bottom floor was used as office space to process the refugees and the apartment was on the second floor. Nico could simply come downstairs and open the doors at 9AM to start working. Another advantage was that there were stairs leading directly down from his apartment on the rear of the building, allowing him to come and go without being seen.
He brought his weight equipment with him, so that he could
keep in shape; this town was too small to have a gym. That turned out to be a
good idea, because some of the townsfolk didn’t realize that Puerto Ricans were
American citizens and treated them as if they were illegal aliens.
He had been in Port Jackson for about a week
and everyday there were protests outside the office, usually led by Ned Davis,
a loud-mouthed bigot despite his size. Ned was 28, 5’6”, 120 lbs with blonde
hair and blue eyes and lily-white skin. Nico had complained to the Sheriff, but
the sheriff was Billy Davis, Ned’s older brother. He just told Nico they didn’t
need his kind in Port Jackson and refused to silence his brother. He even told
Nico that Ned was exercising his right to free speech, something Nico should
know if he was really an American citizen. No amount of arguing would get the
sheriff to stop his brother from harassing Nico and the Puerto Ricans.
Since he was
getting nowhere with the sheriff, Nico decided to take matters into his own
hands. He closed the office at 5PM as usual, and looked out to see Ned
protesting by himself. He approached Ned, hoping to talk sense to him.
“Hi, Ned! I’m Nico Arquero, the liaison for the Puerto Rican
refugees. Can we talk?”
“Only if the talk
leads to you and all these other illegals leaving Port Jackson! Trump was
right, we need a wall to keep your kind out!”
“Now wait a
minute! These folks aren’t from a foreign country, they’re American citizens
just like you and me!”
“I’m American,
but no damn Hispanic is! Now pack up and leave if you know what’s good for you,
Mr. Illegal!
“Look, Ned. I
have an apartment right over the office. Please come to my room and let’s
discuss this over a beer.”
“Everyone knows
about your apartment, Mr. Illegal! We’ve been watching you and seen you bring
young Hispanics up to your room. You’re a damn faggot! You ain’t gonna fuck
me!”
“Trust me,
you’re not my type.” Nico turned to walk away, but Ned pulled his pocketknife
and tried to attack him. Luckily for Nico, he saw Ned’s reflection in the
storefront mirror and spun around, knocking away the knife with his leg. He
then hit Ned in the back of the head, knocking him out. He quickly looked for
the knife, but in the dark he couldn’t see it. He grabbed Ned and his sign and
dragged him up the stairs to his room.
Once he got to
the room, he secured Ned to his bed with manacles that he used when having
rough sex with some of his friends. Then he sat down, trying to figure how he
could get out of this mess.
A short time
later, Ned woke up, moaning. “What the fuck is going on? Where am I and why am
I tied up?”
“Ned, you
shouldn’t have attacked me. I’m not only bigger and more muscular than you are;
I am second dan in karate. Now why did you try to stab me down there?”
“I did no such
thing, you faggot Spic! And you better let me go, or I’ll file assault and
battery charges. You know you’d never get off in this town, Spic!”
“What did you
call me?”
“I called you what
you are, a faggot Spic! And if you ain’t careful, you’ll be a dead faggot
Spic!”
“You better take
that back, Ned!”
Ned saw that he
was getting under Nico’s skin, and decided to egg him on further. “You ain’t
nothing but a damn illegal faggot Spic, an abomination, and you and the rest of
your kind need to leave now, if you know what’s good for you!”
That was one
step too far for Nico. He threw a right cross and knocked Ned out with one
punch. He knew now that there was just one way to make Ned leave him alone.
He turned Ned
onto his stomach and re-secured him to the bed. He also took a knife and cut
away all of Ned’s clothes, leaving the homophobic bigot naked. He now waited
for Ned to wake up. He didn’t have to wait long.
Ned woke up, and
tried to move. He found he was bound and naked. “What the fuck, Arquero! You
better let me go now! Do you know what my brother, the sheriff, will do to you
if he finds out you kidnapped me?”
“Oh, I see we’re
awake. I told you, none of this would have happened if you hadn’t tried to stab
me.”
Ned got cocky
again! “If I tried to stab you, where’s my knife? You stripped me naked after
knocking me out! You’re in big trouble, boy! You better let me go. I won’t tell
my brother anything, but you need to leave town!”
“I don’t think
so, and I don’t trust you, Ned. Now what can we do about that? I seem to
remember you saying that the men I brought up here were my lovers. Up to now,
that’s been true. But I don’t think I can count you among my lovers. Let’s find
out, Ned. Maybe you’ll like being fucked!”
“You ain’t raping me! Get away from me, you damned faggot!
HELP!!!!!”
“Go ahead, I
soundproofed this room. Only I can hear you and I love hearing fear in a man!
It turns me on sexually! See?” Nico drops his pants, revealing a hard, seven
inch, cut cock!
“You ain’t
putting that Spic cock in me, boy! Get away!”
Nico didn’t
reply. He just climbed atop the much smaller Ned, began massaging Ned’s nipples
and suddenly shoved all seven inches into Ned’s virgin hole without lube!
“AAAHHH!!!
You’re ripping me apart, you faggot! Take it out!”
“Not until I
show you the joys of man to man sex. See how hard your own dick is getting?’
Ned began to
cry. He could feel his own body betraying him. He’d never felt such
humiliation!
Nico continued
to rape Ned. His dick went in and out, in and out, like a well-oiled pump.
“Ned, I think
you’re liking this! You’ve got pre-cum on the tip of your bigoted dick. See?”
And he scooped some up, and smeared it on Ned’s face. Ned was stunned that his
body was giving in to the rape.
About five
minutes into the rape, Nico yelled out, “Here it comes Ned! What a ride!”
He shot several
ropes of cum deep up Ned’s ass and as he did, Ned came all over the bed.
“You raped me!
I’ll get you for this, Nico! You’ll never leave Port Jackson alive!”
“I wish you
hadn’t said that, Ned. I was hoping that we could have a new relationship, but
now I see that’s impossible. Do you remember that I told you I’m a black belt?”
“Yeah, so what?”
Without
answering, Nico struck a blow to the back of Ned’s neck, instantly severing his
spinal cord. Ned gave out a short cry and then relaxed into the arms of death.
Now Nico had to think fast. He had to dispose of Ned’s body. He quickly bundled
the body in the sheets and took it down to his car, a 2005 Ford Focus. It was a
small car, but the trunk was as large as a Ford Crown Victoria. It was dark and
the town was asleep. He dumped the bundled up body into the trunk. Then he
started the car and headed out of town to a local lake. He knew there were lots
of alligators and he was counting on them to be hungry. He got to Lake Louisa
and dropped the sheet-covered body into the shallows. He could see several
alligators nearby.
Then he went back to the car and drove home. What he didn’t
notice was Pedro Cabrera’s truck parked nearby, one of the Puerto Rican
refugees that Nico had helped resettle.
Pedro thought it
was odd that Nico was here parked by the lake. He’d never seen Nico out here
before on his fishing trips. He saw Nico leave, and then got his fishing gear
and headed to the lake for some fishing. He got to the lakefront and was
getting his gear ready when he saw what looked like a bundle of sheets tied and
floating right next to his spot. He grabbed the sheets and pulled them ashore.
The alligators watched but kept their distance, they had not lost their fear of
man.
He was about to
cut open the sheets when he saw a hand protruding. He left the sheets and body
there and quickly called 911 on the cell phone that Nico had given him when he
signed up for his family’s assistance. “Hello, 911, what is your emergency?”
“This is Pedro
Cabrera. I’m out by Lake Louisa. I just found a man’s body wrapped in sheets
floating in the lake. Please, come quick!”
“We have
deputies on the way. Stay there, they’re about ten minutes away.”
“Thank you!”
Pedro stays with the body and a few minutes later, Deputy Bubba Williams
arrives in his cruiser with County Coroner Mike Roberts and the coroner’s van
close behind.
The deputy walks
up to Pedro. “You say there’s a body in those sheets?”
“Yes, sir! Oh,
why did I go fishing tonight?”
“Did you kill
him, Pedro?”
“No Sir, I just
got here and found him. But I don’t think he was in the water long.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, the
gators were swimming towards him, but hadn’t got there yet.”
“Okay, did you
see anything else that might help us in our investigation?”
Pedro was
nervous and shaking, but he knew he couldn’t lie to a county deputy. “Yes, sir!
I saw a vehicle leaving just as I parked.”
“Okay, can you
describe the car and did you see who was behind the wheel?”
“Yes, sir. I
have seen that car many times. It was Nico Arquero’s car and Mr. Arquero was in
the driver’s seat. But it must have been a coincidence. Mr. Arquero is a nice
man, he helps people, and he’d never kill anyone.”
“We’ll find that
out when we interview him. Since he was here so close to the finding of the
body, he might be a witness. Hey, Mike, have you ID’d the body or found out
anything yet?”
“Normally, I’d
need to do some work at the lab, but I know who this man is. It’s Sheriff
Davis’ younger brother, Ned Davis!”
“WHAT! I better
call the sheriff right away! Anything else before I call him?”
“Yeah, Ned’s had
sex with someone shortly before death.”
“Well, what’s so
unusual about that? Ned always was known for fucking the ladies.”
“You don’t
understand. There is cum oozing out Ned’s ass. Some guy fucked him recently,
and since he’s dead, it was probably rape. I’ll run a rape kit as soon as I get
to the morgue, but I already took a sample, and I’m bagging his ass to make
sure that we don’t lose any evidence. And there’s something else. Look at his
wrists and ankles; do you see those slight abrasions? That’s a sign that he was
restrained, probably with manacles. If we find the killer, be sure and look for
some kind of restraints!”
“Oh, fuck! The
sheriff’s gonna blow a gasket! Not only is his brother killed, but raped first
while he’s restrained! Hey, Mike, who do we know in this town that’s queer?”
“Only one that I
know of, that Spic that helps the Puerto Ricans, Nico Arquero.”
“Exactly! And
Pedro here saw Nico’s car at the crime scene. Hey, we’re in luck, the ground
was soft from rain. I can get a perfect tire tread, then I’ll match it to
Arquero’s tires. I better call the sheriff. He’ll probably want to head out to
Arquero’s apartment and hold him as a person of interest.”
“Hello, this is
Sheriff Davis. Do you know what time it is? I was just falling off to sleep.”
“Sheriff, I know
it’s late. It’s Deputy Williams. I’m out by Lake Louisa, we just found a body
wrapped in sheets that a Puerto Rican fisherman pulled out of the lake.”
“Damn it,
Williams! Why couldn’t this wait until morning? Just have the coroner bring the
body to the morgue tonight.”
“Well, normally,
I would. But we’ve ID’d the body. It’s Ned, sir!”
“WHAT? You mean
someone killed my baby brother? That Spic probably killed him. Arrest him! I’ll
be right out.”
“It’s not that
simple, Sir. There were two vehicles out here at the lake tonight. Pedro
Cabrera saw the other vehicle and I got a tire track impression. He said it was
Nico Arquero, Sir. One more thing, the coroner’s pretty sure that Ned was
raped!”
“Why that
bastard queer! He’s one of the only homos in these parts! How long ago does the
coroner think the body was dumped?”
“Well, he can’t
be sure till he gets back to the morgue. But he’s guessing no more than 30-45
minutes, probably less. Pedro’s only been here about 25 minutes.”
“Okay, I have to
get dressed. I’m going over to Arquero’s apartment; he’ll be home by then. We
both know that bastard homo killed Ned. I want to be there when he gets the
needle! Tell Mike that this autopsy is top priority. I want it done by
tomorrow!”
“Will do, Sir.
I’ll bring Pedro in too, so he can be interviewed. You might get Judge Johnson
up, we need a warrant for Arquero’s car, so I can compare the treads.”
“Okay, Deputy.
I’ll see you back at the sheriff’s office.”
The sheriff woke
up Judge Johnson, and the judge issued three warrants, a search warrant for the
apartment, another for Nico’s car, and one to arrest Nico on a charge of
suspicion of murder and rape. Then Sheriff Davis headed over to Nico’s
apartment with two of his best deputies, Mark Robinson and Jeff Moore. The
sheriff ordered that they not use lights or sirens; he didn’t want to do
anything that might alert Arquero. Once they arrived, he gave the men their
final orders.
“Okay, men.
We’re going up the stairs in back, they end right outside his apartment. Tiptoe
up those stairs, I don’t want him hearing anything until we bust that door
down. That SOB killed Ned, and I don’t want him escaping! Is that clear? Good.
One more thing, the SPIC is a black belt in karate, so when that door breaks,
everyone make sure your guns are drawn. I want the bastard alive, but shoot if
you have to. Try to just wing him. Now let’s go catch us the SOB who killed
Ned!”
About twenty minutes earlier, Nico had finally arrived back
at the apartment and gotten ready for bed. Nico loved how fit and muscular he
looked, so he always slept in the nude. He also had a habit of falling asleep
quickly, a habit he’d wish he didn’t have before this night was over. Nico had
just entered deep REM sleep when the sheriff and deputies arrived at the
landing outside his apartment and kicked in his door. He sprang up from his
bed, but confronting him were the three law enforcement officers with their
guns pointed directly at Nico!
Nico looked at
the men and said, “Sheriff, what’s the meaning of this? How dare you barge into
my apartment?"
“Nico Arquero, you are under arrest for suspicion of murder
and rape of Ned Davis. Stand against the wall, I need to handcuff you.”
“I did no such
thing, Sheriff!” He saw the guns all aimed directly at him.
“I hear you’re a
black belt in karate, Spic! Please resist, nothing would give me more pleasure
than to fill your sorry carcass with lead, except to be there with the other
witnesses when they give you the needle and you take that long dirt nap,
Fucker!”
“Okay, I’ll let
you handcuff me, but first let me get dressed. I don’t want to be paraded
around town naked!”
“You should have
thought about that before you stripped poor Ned’s body. He had to come back
into town naked in a body bag, and if I have any say, that’s what you’ll be in
soon! Now hands against the wall, or does Deputy Moore have to taser you?”
Nico realized
that he was outnumbered, and that even his skills with karate weren’t a match
against their guns, so he did as he was told. He stood facing the wall, and the
sheriff handcuffed his hands behind his back. As he was cuffed, the sheriff
read him his rights.
“You have the
right to remain silent. Should you waive this right, anything you say can and
will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney.
Should you be unable to afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you
understand these rights, boy?”
Nico gritted his
teeth and said, “Yes, sir! And I’d like to see those warrants now!”
The sheriff
showed Nico the warrants, one allowing them to search the apartment for
evidence, a second allowing them to seize Nico’s car to process it for evidence
and finally the arrest warrant on suspicion of murder and rape.
They conducted a search of the apartment.
Since Ned had been wrapped in sheets, they suspected that Nico had put on fresh
sheets after dumping the body. They stripped the bed, and found fresh cum
stains on the mattress, so they seized the mattress for further study. They
looked on the bed, and noticed scratches in the wood consistent with a
struggle. They looked in the drawers of Nico’s dresser, and mixed in with his
socks, they found four iron manacles with some paint transfer, probably from
the bed. They seized the manacles, headboard and footboard and then the three
law enforcement officers led Nico down the stairs, naked, and put him in the
back seat of the sheriff’s waiting car.
After the short
drive to the sheriff’s office at the Andrews County Jail, Nico was given a
standard issue prison uniform to wear and had to put it on in front of three
deputies with their guns drawn in case Nico tried to escape by using his karate
skills. He was re-secured with the manacles and leg irons and was then taken
into an interrogation room for questioning by the sheriff.
“Arquero, why
not tell me what happened? Things might go easier for you if you confess!”
“I ain’t saying
anything without my lawyer! Ned was a bigot, and most of this town is the same.
I won’t get a fair trial! Now I need a lawyer!”
“Sure, SPIC! Who
is your lawyer?”
“I can’t afford
one on the small pittance the government pays me to help these refugees of
Hurricane Maria. You said the court would appoint one for me.”
“Very well! You
go before Judge Johnson in the morning for arraignment. He’ll appoint one for
you then. In the meantime, here’s one more warrant that the judge signed. It
authorizes us to take a cheek swab for DNA. Open wide, faggot!”
“I’ve gotta give
you the sample, although you don’t have to use ethnic slurs. You could ask
nicely!”
“Oh, forgive me,
where are my manners, Mr. Killer of my brother! You better just be glad that I
brought you in for trial instead of finding the closest tree, homo! Now I want
that DNA swab!”
Nico opens wide,
and the sheriff swabs his cheek and then places the swab in an evidence
envelope. He gave the swab to the deputy to be sent to the State Crime Lab.
“Deputy, take this Spic homo and put him in a cell. But treat him real nice. I
don’t want him accusing us of police brutality, plus I want him nice and
healthy when they strap him down for the needle! Oh, and those manacles and leg
irons stay on even in the cell. Feed him yourself if you have to, but I don’t
want that Spic escaping the scales of justice”.
Once that was
done, Sheriff Davis called the coroner for an update. “Hey, Mike! It’s Sheriff
Davis. What do you have on my brother’s murder?”
“I just finished
the preliminary autopsy. Ned was killed by a sharp blow to the back of the neck
that broke his spinal column, I’m writing it up as murder caused by blunt force
trauma.”
“Do you have any
idea what the killer used, Mike?”
“I can’t be
sure, but it might have been his hands. The bruise is long and thin, like the
edge of a hand. I have to research it more, but it might be a karate chop!”
“That makes
sense. That Spic we arrested has a black belt in karate. Did you run a rape
kit?”
“Yes, Sir! And
it came back positive! Ned was definitely raped, I even got some live sperm
that we can send out for DNA if you have a sample to match it to.”
“I sure do! I
just got a cheek swab from Arquero and sent it to the State Crime Lab, send
yours there too.”
“Yeah, I will.
They’re the best at DNA and it rarely takes more than two weeks. That will give
me time to get the toxicology results back on Ned. You know, sheriff, see if he
was drugged. Also, one more thing, can you get a search warrant for a mold of
Nico’s hands, I want especially the sides of his hands. Then I can compare it
to the wound and see if it’s consistent”
“Sure, no
problem! Well I need to run, Deputy Williams just walked in. I’ll have him get
you the warrant. I think he has the tire impression comparison and also the
report on any evidence he found in Arquero’s car.”
“Well, Deputy
Williams, do you have good news for me? What did you find in going through that
Spic faggot’s car?”
“I think you’ll
be happy, Sir. First, as to the tire impression that I found at the lake, it’s
a perfect match for the tread on the defendant’s right front tire. So Arquero
was definitely at the crime scene. Next, I did check out the car. I didn’t find
anything of note in the passenger compartment, but the trunk is a different
matter. I found fibers that are microscopically similar to fibers from the
sheets that Ned’s body was wrapped in. I also found some very faint white
stains on the trunk liner where I found the fibers. I sent a sample of those
stains to the State Crime Lab for DNA analysis. We’ll know for sure in two
weeks. I’m also going to go back out to the lake in the morning when it’s light
so we can see if we missed anything.”
“Very thorough,
Williams! I’m impressed! I’m going home for some sleep. I’ll see you in the
morning, the prisoner has a 9:00 AM arraignment time with Judge Johnson,”
At daybreak,
Deputy Williams returns to the crime scene with an evidence specialist. “Deputy
Williams, is this where the car was parked?”
“Yes, it is! Did
you find something?”
“Yes, look here?
There are two sets of footprints. There’s a heavy set leading to the lake, and
a lighter one returning, but the same shoe made both impressions.”
“You’re right.
The deeper set must be when Nico was carrying Ned’s dead body to the lake, and
the lighter one is when he returned to the car to flee. We need a cast of
these, then I’ll go to his apartment with a warrant and look for those shoes!”
They collect the
cast, and then they head to the courthouse, where court is already in session.
Judge Johnson is on the bench. “The next case on the docket is State of Florida
v Nicholas Arquero aka Nico Arquero. The charge has just been upgraded to First
Degree Murder, First Degree Rape, and Armed Kidnapping! Is the defendant
present, and is he represented by counsel?”
“Nico rose at
the defense table and said, “I’m here, your honor, but I’m not represented by
counsel, I have no money for a lawyer.”
“Very well, the
court appoints Roberto Gonzalez as your attorney.”
“But your honor,
Roberto is one of the refugees from the devastation from Hurricane Maria! He’s
never tried a case in Florida!”
“If the prisoner
does not wish Mr. Gonzalez to represent him, that is his right, but he would
then have to pay for his own attorney. Is that what you want to do, Mr.
Arquero?”
“No, Sir! I
don’t have any money to pay for one. I guess I’ll accept Mr. Gonzalez as my
counsel.”
“Very well! You
may confer with your attorney, and then I need a plea to the charges.”
“Your honor, may
we have a five minute recess to discuss the plea?”
“Certainly,
counselor! Court is adjourned for five minutes.”
“Well, Roberto,
what is your advice? How should I plead?”
“Nico, I’ve
looked at their case. So far, it’s mainly circumstantial, but I hear that
they’re waiting for DNA evidence to come back. If that implicates you, you’re
in big trouble. The State Attorney has already announced that he’s seeking the
death penalty. But before I advise you further, did you kill him?”
“Yes, Roberto I
did. But it was self-defense. He came at me with a knife!”
“Where is the
knife? I haven’t heard of any being found.”
“That’s the
problem. I was able to disarm him, but it was dark and I couldn’t find it.”
“Okay, it
doesn’t look good. But for now, we’re going back in the courtroom, and you’ll
plead not guilty, and announce that we’re going for self-defense. It’s a pretty
easy argument in Florida with the Stand Your Ground law.”
“Court is back
in session in the case of the State of Florida v Nicholas Arquero aka Nico
Arquero. How does the defendant plead?”
“Your honor,
Roberto Gonzalez, attorney for the accused. Mr. Arquero pleads not guilty, due
to self-defense.”
“Very well, the
court accepts the plea. What is the people’s recommendation on bail?”
“Your honor, the
defendant is originally from Puerto Rico, and is currently a resident of the
state of New York. Since he has no ties to this community, and due to the
seriousness of the charges, the people request no bail!”
“Very good. Mr.
Gonzalez, do you wish to be heard on bail?”
“Yes, your
honor. While what the State Attorney said is for the most part true, he does
have substantial ties to the community. He came here specifically to assist
other Puerto Ricans in settling here after the devastation caused on the island
by Hurricane Maria. He is well-liked, even beloved by the Latino community. I
ask that he be released on his own recognizance, and I will let him live with
me should you grant this request, and be responsible for his appearance in
court.”
“The court has
considered both arguments, and to a degree they both have merit. However, these
are extremely serious charges, and due to the death penalty being sought on the
top charge, any release from custody would bring with it a very strong
possibility of flight! Also, the court is aware that the defendant is a black
belt in karate, which the state argues that he used to kill the victim. He was
only captured so quickly and peacefully because he was sleeping naked in his
bed when the sheriff and his men broke down the door. Should he flee, they
might not be so lucky next time. The court also notes that the prisoner has
been brought from the jail in manacles and leg irons, further showing how
dangerous the defendant may be if released into society. Therefore, I am
denying bond, and the defendant is remanded to the custody of the sheriff!” As
the bailiffs approached Nico to take him back to jail, Nico turned to his attorney
and asked him what would happen next.
“Well, I’ll come
by the jail later today. I need to hear your side of the story. That will
probably be all for a few weeks until the DNA evidence comes back. Also, Judge
Johnson granted a search warrant for the shoes you wore the night of the
killing. It seems they found footprints leading from your car to the lake and
back, and they want to compare them to yours. I’ll also try to see if the State
Attorney is willing to offer a plea deal.”
“But, Roberto, I
killed him in self-defense. I don’t want to go to prison!”
“Would you
rather do 10-20 in prison, or get the death penalty? In this part of Florida,
that’s probably the only realistic choices. Now go with the bailiffs and I’ll
be around this afternoon.”
About 3:00 PM,
Attorney Roberto Gonzalez entered the jail, and asked for a meeting with his
client, Nico Arquero. The deputy on duty directed him to a conference room, and
came back a few minutes later with Nico, who wore both manacles and leg irons.
The manacles were then attached to bolts in the table to prevent the
possibility of escape. Nico was furious. “Hey, guard! Why am I being chained
like an animal? I haven’t given you any trouble, but I’m chained 24/7 even when
I’m locked in my cell!”
Attorney
Gonzalez interrupted him. “Nico, they have to restrain you. You heard the
judge, with your karate skills, you’re too dangerous. Guard, would you leave us
please. I need to confer with my client.”
Once the guard
left, Gonzalez looked at Nico. “Okay, I have some good news. I talked to Scott
Wilson, the State Attorney. He’s willing to accept a guilty plea to second
degree murder and drop the rape and kidnap charges to save the people an
expensive trial. He’ll recommend a sentence of 10-20 IF the DNA comes back
negative.”
When he finished
talking, he saw a look of worry in Nico’s face. “OK, Nico. I’ve seen that look
before. There’s something I don’t know. Tell me in your own words what happened
that night. If I’m going to defend you, I need to know everything.”
“I had just
closed the office, and Ned and his buddies had been outside all day picketing
and hurling ethnic and homophobic slurs. I had just had enough! I went outside
to lock the front door when I saw Ned all alone, so I decided to try and talk
to him. But that man had a one-track mind. He just kept hurling the insults!
Then as I turned, I saw a flash and realized he’d pulled his pocketknife. I
spun around and kicked it out of his hands. He started to yell, and I was afraid
he’d get one of the Sheriff’s men to arrest me, so I struck him on the back of
the head, knocking him out cold. I made a quick search for the pocketknife, but
couldn’t find it. It must have gone into some bushes. It was dark, but I
couldn’t risk a deputy on patrol seeing Ned out cold in the street, so I picked
him up and went up the rear stairway to my apartment. I just wanted to reason
with him, so I threw him on my bed, and used some manacles to restrain him just
in case he tried to attack again. You know I’m gay, and some of my partners
like it rough, so I had a set with me. When he woke up, he denied attacking me
and began insulting me and threatening me again. I’d had enough; I lost my
temper and connected with a right cross to his jaw. Suddenly, I was enraged and
knew that he had to be taught a lesson and also that he’d never give me a
moment’s piece as long as he was alive. While he was out cold, I repositioned
him and stripped him, so that I could fuck him by placing him on his belly.
When he woke up, I fucked his ass, but good! I was hoping he might be so
humiliated that he’d offer to leave me alone, but he kept saying how he’d get
his brother to arrest me for rape. You know I’m a second dan in karate, so I
know exactly where to strike a man to kill him. I brought the side of my hand
down HARD on that asshole’s neck, breaking his spinal column. Then I removed
the restraints, bundled him in the sheets and put him in my car trunk for the
trip to Lake Louisa. It’s usually deserted, how was I supposed to know that
Pedro would decide to go fishing that night? If he’d just been a little later,
the alligators would have eaten Ned’s remains before he could be discovered.
That’s the truth! Now, how much of a jam am I in?”
“Nico, I can’t
mount a defense of self-defense. What you described is premeditated murder!”
“But he tried to
attack me with his pocketknife!”
“Says you. The
police never found a weapon. But even if they had, the attack happened outside.
You could have knocked him out and left him there, but you made the conscious
decision to take him to your room, which is kidnapping, then to restrain him,
and finally you made conscious decisions to rape and murder him. No, the only
way to save your life now is a defense of temporary insanity!”
“But I’m not
insane!”
“No, but the
stress of being threatened and attacked unhinged you temporarily. Either we go
with that, or you better write out your will, because you’ll be taken to the
prison in Starke to await execution by lethal injection. It’s your choice,
Nico. And forget about the plea deal. As soon as State Attorney Scott Wilson
gets the DNA reports, he’ll pull that offer.”
“So what happens
if I’m found not guilty by reason of insanity?”
“Well, it’s a
long shot. Is there a history of insanity in your family? No? That’s a problem.
But if we somehow get you off on an insanity defense, you’d be taken to one of
Florida’s state mental hospitals for an evaluation and then once they realize
you aren’t currently insane, you’d be released as a free man. I’d advise
leaving Florida, Ned had a lot of friends who won’t take kindly to you getting
off. But I have to be honest. It’s far more likely that you’ll be convicted and
sentenced to death. There’s just too much evidence, and you had multiple
opportunities not to commit your crimes, which shows premeditation and
planning, which is a big point against you not knowing the difference between
right and wrong. Listen, I need to do more research. There won’t be another
hearing until after the DNA and toxicology come back. Just go back to your cell
and behave yourself and I’ll be in touch! Guard, we’re done. You can return the
prisoner to his cell!”
The guard
returned Nico to his cell, and nothing major transpired in the next two weeks.
Then State Attorney Wilson called Nico’s attorney on the phone. “Hey, Roberto.
I just got the DNA back from the rape kit and also the sperm stains on the
mattress, sheets and the white stains on the trunk liner. The odds of anyone
other than Nico Arquero being the contributor of the sperm we found in Ned’s
ass and in the trunk are 15 billion to one, and the stains on the mattress and
the sheets the body was wrapped in were a combination of two individuals, in
this case Nico Arquero and Ned Davis. Again, the odds of anyone else being the
contributor are about 15 billion to one. Also the fibers in the trunk were a
match for the sheets Ned was wrapped in. Toxicology showed that Ned was drunk
at the time of death, which isn’t that surprising because he was always drunk!
Under the circumstances, I have to withdraw the plea deal, but I’ll make a new
offer if you’re interested.”
“What is the
offer, Scott?”
“If your client
is willing to plead guilty to all counts and accept a sentence of life without
parole, the state will agree to avoid the expense of a trial. The family
doesn’t like this, but they’ll go along if the defendant also waives his right
to appeal.”
“I think that’s
a fair offer, Scott, but you know I have to discuss it with my client first.
I’ll go see him and then call you back with our answer.”
“Okay, Roberto,
but this is a one-time offer. If he refuses, we go to trial on Monday, and I
will be seeking the death penalty.”
Roberto went
over to the jail, and told Nico about the DNA and toxicology, as well as the
plea offer. “Life without parole and give up my appeals, Roberto? Just rot in a
hole! Fuck, no! He deserved what happened to him! You said you were mounting an
insanity defense. Well, get me off, counselor! Do your job! I refuse that
offer!”
“Okay, Nico.
I’ll file the paperwork for an insanity defense. They’ll appoint a couple
experts; one for us and one for the state who will both have to examine you. If
you can’t convince them that you were temporarily insane, then all I can do is
try to show that it wasn’t first degree, maybe second degree or manslaughter.”
The court date
for Monday was pushed back a day to allow for the experts to interview Nico.
After the interviews, the judge read the reports and denied the defense motion
for an insanity defense. Attorney Gonzalez brought Nico the bad news.
“Nico, neither
expert believes that you were suffering from temporary insanity at the time of
the crimes, so the judge has barred us from using an insanity defense. Even our
expert didn’t think you were insane. Tell me, did you lose it when they hurled
homophobic and ethnic slurs at you?”
“You’re damn
right I did! Where did you find that so-called expert? I expected the state’s
shrink to be an ass, but ours was too! You should have heard what they were
calling me.”
“You should have
maintained control, Nico. They do stuff like that to see how you’ll react. Both
reports said that you have anger-management issues when it comes to being
insulted like that. You really fucked up big time, Nico!”
“Okay, I screwed
up! Now how do we fix it?”
“When we go into
court on Monday, you need to plead guilty to both kidnapping and rape. Yes, I
know they both carry long prison terms, but the main charge is first-degree
murder. There’s no way that I can get a jury to bring back a not-guilty
verdict, so we need to try for a lesser included felony, like second-degree
murder or manslaughter. Because if that jury comes back guilty on first-degree
murder, you’re almost certain to get the death penalty!”
“What would be
the possible sentences if I’m convicted on a lesser charge and plead out to the
kidnap and rape?”
“We’re talking
hard time, Nico. Judge Johnson is a fair man, and he’ll probably run the
sentences concurrently, but you’re still probably looking at 25 to life, but
with a chance of parole. If it’s first-degree murder, then it’s either death or
life without parole, those are the only options.”
“Either way,
it’s a long sentence. Still, after 25 years, I’ll only be 50, I could make a
fresh start. OK, Roberto, I’ll plead guilty to the kidnap and rape.”
Roberto conveyed
to the State Attorney that Nico would not accept the plea deal, but would be
pleading guilty to kidnapping and rape, going to trial only on the first-degree
murder charge. The State Attorney made it clear that he’d be seeking the death
penalty, but was relieved that the defendant would be pleading to the other
charges.
The following
Monday, the courtroom was packed for the start of the case, State of Florida v
Nicholas Arquero aka Nico Arquero. They were waiting for jury selection to
begin, when Judge Johnson gaveled the hearing to order. “I understand that the
defendant wishes to change his plea. Before I hear the new plea, I admonish the
courtroom that if there is any outburst either for or against the defendant, I
will clear the courtroom! Is that understood? Good. Nicholas Arquero, please
rise! I understand you wish to change your plea, is that right?”
“Your honor,
Roberto Gonzalez, attorney for the defendant in the case at bar. The defendant
wishes to withdraw his pleas of not guilty to the charges of kidnapping and
rape, and change those pleas to guilty! As to the murder count, the defendant
maintains his innocence and wishes to continue to trial.”
“Mr. Arquero,
are you in agreement with what your counsel has just stated?”
“Yes, your
honor!”
“State Attorney
Wilson, do you have an objection to the change in plea?”
“No, your honor,
although let the record reflect that the State Attorney’s Office has offered no
guidelines as to what sentence we will be seeking regarding those counts of the
indictment. Also, we will continue seeking the death penalty on the remaining
count of first-degree murder.”
“So noted! The
court accepts your change of plea from not guilty to guilty on the charges of
rape and kidnapping. Sentencing will be scheduled at the end of this trial.
They then
continued to jury selection. About a day later, a jury was seated. There were 8
men and 4 women on the jury, with an ethnic breakdown of 11 white jurors and
one Hispanic male juror. There were also 3 men and 3 women selected as
alternates, all white.
Following
opening arguments, the state called its first witness, Pedro Cabrera, who
testified to seeing Nico’s car at the crime scene and to finding the body in
the lake. He tried several times to interject that he knew Sr. Arquero would
never harm anyone, but the State Attorney objected every time to the remarks as
being non-responsive, and the judge upheld the objection, striking the
statement from the record. There was no cross-examination, since Attorney
Gonzalez knew that upcoming evidence would prove Nico was at the scene.
The next witness
was Deputy Bubba Williams, who corroborated Pedro Cabrera’s statements,
discussed viewing the body, and presented evidence of the tire tracks that
Nico’s car had left at the scene as well as the footprints matching Nico’s
shoes and the fiber and sperm evidence from the trunk. Attorney Gonzalez
cross-examined the deputy as to if anyone else had handled the evidence, but
none had, just Deputy Williams. He also tried to question the tire and shoe
impressions, but the deputy showed that the tire and shoes had minor defects
unique to items owned by the defendant, so that didn’t help Nico’s case,
either.
The final
witness for the state was Coroner Mike Rogers, He testified to identifying and
autopsying the body. He stated that the cause of death was blunt force trauma
to the back of the neck, consistent with a karate chop. He further testified
that a cast of the defendant’s right hand was consistent with the wound. The
DNA concerning the rape and the manacles used to restrain Ned was not
presented, due to Nico pleading guilty to those charges. However, the DNA from
the cum stains on the sheets was admitted into evidence since it proved that
the sheets used to wrap the body were the defendant’s property. There was really no point in cross-examining
the coroner, so Attorney Gonzalez declined to do so. Following this, the state
rested.
There was a
recess until the next day. Attorney Gonzalez met with Nico that evening at the
jail. “Well, Roberto, how are we doing?”
“I won’t lie to
you, Nico. It doesn’t look good. They have placed you at the scenes of the
crime, both your apartment and the lake. When court convenes, I’ll try to call
a few witnesses from the Puerto Rican community to testify that they’ve never
seen you lose your temper and hopefully the jury will come back with
second-degree murder. But you need to be prepared for a conviction on
first-degree murder. If it does come down that way, it’s very important that
you show no emotion! That might be your only chance to avoid the death penalty.
Frankly, I’m glad I’m not on the jury, because I’d have to vote for
first-degree based on the evidence. Oh, don’t be surprised if the state objects
to my witnesses, arguing that they’re character witnesses, who should really be
heard in the penalty phase of the trial. I hope he doesn’t object, because he’d
be right, but it’s our only shot at a lesser verdict.”
After a
sleepless night, court convened and Attorney Gonzalez called a series of
witnesses to testify to never having seen Nico Arquero lose his temper. However,
State Attorney Wilson objected to each one, and the judge concurred. Nico
turned to his attorney. “Roberto, put me on the stand!”
“The State
Attorney would eat you for lunch. You’d be signing your own death warrant! Is
that what you want, Nico?”
“No, I just want
some kind of defense.”
“I’m sorry,
Nico, but we’re boxed into a corner. The best I can do now is to try to get you
life in the penalty phase.” Attorney Gonzalez rested his case.
After a two-hour
recess so that the judge and attorneys could agree on jury instructions, the
court was re-convened. State Attorney Wilson presented the state’s closing
argument.
“Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, you have heard evidence proving beyond the shadow of any
doubt that Nicholas Arquero, on the night of December 23rd, 2017,
did willfully and with premeditation kill Ned Davis, most likely by using his
knowledge of karate to deliver a karate chop to the back of decedent’s neck
with such force that it broke his spinal cord, killing him instantly. You have
heard the coroner testify to going to the crime scene at Lake Louisa and
observing Ned’s body wrapped in sheets, those sheets confirmed by DNA evidence
were covered with the defendant’s DNA. You have heard Deputy Williams testify as
to the tire treads at the lake being consistent with the defendant’s car, and
the two sets of footprints, one heavier going to the lake as if the person was
carrying a bundle or weight, and lighter ones coming back. Those shoeprints
matched the defendant’s shoes. There can be one and only one verdict, the state
demands that you find the defendant, Nicholas Arquero, guilty of the crime of
first-degree murder!”
Now it was
Attorney Roberto Gonzalez’ turn to present the closing argument for the defense.
“Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, Ned Davis was a bully! For a week, all that he did was
verbally harass my client by using every ethnic and homophobic slur on the
books. Meanwhile, my client was trying to help his fellow Puerto Ricans who
were forced to come to Florida due to the devastation from Hurricane Maria.
Only when the abuse continued and even the sheriff would not help my client,
did he take the law into his own hands. I am not excusing my client’s behavior,
it is never right to take a human life, but the crime he committed should be
second-degree murder, the guidelines of which are a reckless disregard for
human life. Thus, I ask you to bring back a verdict of guilty not to
first-degree murder, but to the lesser-included charge of second-degree murder.
Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.”
Following the
closing arguments, the judge read the agreed-upon final instructions to the
jury, and then the jury retired to the jury room to begin deliberations. First,
they had to elect a foreman, and to his surprise, Jose Altidor, the only
Hispanic member of the jury, was elected. Jose was the 21 year-old son of a
family that Nico had assisted, but was allowed to sit on the jury because he
had not had contact with Nico; just his parents had met with Nico.
“Thank you for
having such faith in me. Now, let’s start by writing down our preliminary vote
as to the charge against Sr. Arquero of premeditated first-degree murder. Just
write your vote on these slips of paper, and I will tally them.” He collects
the ballots and then reads the results. “Guilty of pre-meditated first-degree
murder-12, not guilty 0! Well that was easy. Of course, with all the evidence
against him, even I’m not surprised. Now let’s do an official vote, even though
we know the results. Then I’ll fill out the form and tell the bailiff we’ve
reached a verdict.”
Jose then sent
out a note to the bailiff that after 30 minutes, they had reached a verdict.
The judge ordered the court to rise as the jurors were led back into the
courtroom. Nico looked at Roberto. “That was fast! What does it mean?”
“It most likely
means guilty, but remember, no reaction! We still have a chance to get you life
in the penalty phase.”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Mr. Foreman, I
understand that you have reached a verdict. Is that correct?”
“Yes, we have
your honor.”
“Give the jury
form to the bailiff who will hand it to me.”
Once the judge
has read the jury form, he has the bailiff return it to the jury foreman.
“Mr. Foreman,
you may read your verdict! The defendant will please rise!”
“We, the jury,
in the Andrews County Courthouse, in the case of State of Florida v Nicholas
Arquero aka Nico Arquero, as to the count of Premeditated First-Degree Murder
of Ned Davis find the defendant, Nicholas Arquero, guilty as charged, so say we
all, this 29th day of December, in the Year of Our Lord 2017!”
As he hears the
verdict, Nico remembers his attorney’s words. He shows no emotion, although
there is a visible slumping of his shoulders.
“Thank you for
your service, jurors. You are ordered to report here one week from today, which
is January 5, 2018 for the start of the penalty phase of the trial where you
will fix the defendant’s punishment as either death or life in prison without
possibility of parole. Return the defendant to the jail. Court is adjourned!”
Nico is returned
to jail, and over the weekend, Roberto comes to visit him.
“Sr. Gonzalez,
what will happen at the penalty phase?”
“Well, both the
state and I will put on witnesses. He will put on witnesses as to your past
crimes, if he finds any, as well as witnesses to you losing your temper. I’ll
put on witnesses as to your past civic duty, especially with the Hispanic
community here in Port Jackson. Then the jury must decide whether your
aggravating factors outweigh your mitigating ones. If they do, you’ll be
sentenced to death, if not, to life without parole. And due to a recent change
in Florida law, the vote for death must be unanimous. Anything less, and you
get life without parole. Oh, we met in the judge’s chambers after court. Judge
Johnson will impose the sentences for Armed Kidnapping and First-Degree Rape
and Sodomy at the same time he sentences you for the murder charge. I still
hope that I can get you a life sentence.”
“So, either I
get taken to Starke, where the death row is, and await death by lethal
injection, or I’m taken to a prison and forced to live out my life there, with
no possibility of parole! Some choice!”
“I know it sounds bad, but who knows, the
laws may change one day, and you may get a chance at parole. The change to a
unanimous verdict for death is very recent. Before, a simple majority could
sentence you to death, 7-5, or even less if the judge overrode the jury. He
can’t now.
“Okay, I don’t
have a choice anyway!” With that, Nico is returned to his cell to await the
penalty phase. He notices a distinct change in the attitude of the guards.
“Hey, Billy, I
wonder what vein they’ll use to give this killer his well-deserved dirt nap?”
“I don’t know,
Joe. I know the sheriff can’t wait to see that rabid Spic faggot put down like
the dog that he is!”
“It’s just a
damn shame that he’ll have a lot easier death than poor Ned.”
This went on all
week, plus they began to give Nico less to eat, and less nutritious food at
that! Finally, it was Friday, January 5, 2018 and court was again in session.
“All rise! Court
is now in session, the Honorable Judge Jefferson Johnson presiding.”
“Be seated, the
court notes for the record that the attorney for the state, the attorney for
the defense, the defendant, and the jury are present. You may proceed, Mr.
State Attorney!”
“The court calls
Mr. Arnold Smith, DNA specialist for the State Crime Lab!”
Mr. Smith is
sworn in and takes the stand.
“Mr. Smith, you
worked the rape kit for the decedent, is that correct?”
“Objection, your
honor, relevance?”
“Your honor, the
state is allowed to introduce evidence from past crimes to show the propensity
for violence in a penalty phase.”
“But, your
honor, my client hasn’t been sentenced yet for that crime.”
“The court has
weighed the arguments and looked up case law. It is well settled that past
crimes may be brought up in a penalty phase of a death case, even when the
defendant has yet to be sentenced on those crimes. The witness may answer, the
objection is overruled!”
“Yes, I worked
the rape kit.”
“And what were
your findings?”
“The chances of
any other man being the contributor of the semen found in Mr. Davis’ ass is 15
billion to one! It’s the defendant’s semen.”
“Thank you, Mr.
Smith. Cross-examine?”
“No questions.”
The state calls
the coroner, Mike Roberts to the stand.
“Mr. Roberts, we
know about the findings from the autopsy that you reported at trial. Did you
find anything else that you did not cover in the trial?”
“Yes, Sir! I
found a series of abrasions on the skin of Jed’s wrists and ankles?”
“And did you
form and opinion as to what might have caused those abrasions?”
“Yes, Sir! They
were consistent with someone being restrained with metal manacles.”
“Your honor, I
would like these metal manacles, found in the defendant’s apartment, introduced
into evidence.”
“Objection!
Relevance!”
“Oh, I think we
both know where the State Attorney is going here, Mr. Gonzalez. Objection
overruled. The manacles are allowed into evidence, marked as State Exhibit 18.”
“Mr. Coroner,
could these manacles have caused those abrasions?”
“Not only could
they have, they did cause them. I found microscopic skin cells on the manacles,
and the DNA from those cells matches the decedent, Ned Davis!”
“Cross-examine?”
“Not at this time?”
“Roberto, my
life’s on the line. When are you going to put on a defense?”
“What could I
have asked them? They’re both expert witnesses. The more they talk, the more
you look like you deserve the death penalty!”
The state then
called several men who had protested alongside Ned Davis. They all said what a
nice man Ned was, and how out of control Nico got trying to prevent Ned from
exercising his rights to free speech. Mr. Gonzalez cross-examined them, but the
best he got them to admit was that Ned used ethnic and homophobic slurs aimed
at Nico. After that, the state rested.
Now it was
Attorney Gonzalez turn to put on his defense. He called several members of the
Puerto Rican community. They all testified as to how kind and helpful Nico had
been when they had to leave their homeland for Florida. However, on
cross-examination, several of them recalled Nico saying that Port Jackson would
be a better place without Ned Davis in it. Of course, they also said that they
knew Mr. Arquero would never kill someone. “And yet, he stands convicted here
today of exactly that, doesn’t he Mr. Garcia?” Mr. Garcia hung his head and
said, “Yes, Sir!”
“Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, it may be true that the defendant, Nicholas Arquero,
came to our community to help his fellow Puerto Ricans, but it is also true
that he now stands convicted of three separate felonies, Premeditated
First-Degree Murder, First Degree Rape and Armed Kidnapping. The fact that he
pled guilty to the latter two is no different than if a jury had found him
guilty. Thus the state asks that you sentence Nicholas Arquero to the ultimate
punishment, death by lethal injection, for the Premeditated First-Degree Murder
of Ned Davis!”
“Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury, my client, Nicholas Arquero, stands before you today
convicted of the heinous murder of Ned Davis. Indeed, had I been on the jury, I
would probably have come to the same decision as you did. But as you have
heard, other than this incident, my client has led an exemplary life, helping
his fellow man at every turn. You have to decide whether this crime deserves
the ultimate punishment of death by lethal injection, or if the ends of justice
would be better served by the defendant being incarcerated for the rest of his life,
never having a chance at parole. Life without parole means just that, Nicholas
Arquero will die in prison, never again being allowed the privilege of walking
among us as a free man. I suggest that would be a more than just punishment for
the heinous crime that he stands convicted of. Thank you!”
The jury then
retired. They took several preliminary votes, but it was soon clear that the
foreman, Jose Altidor, and a white man, Mark Anderson, both were leaning
towards NO on the death penalty. The others tried to change their minds, asking
them how they could let such an evil dog live? Jose and Mark both argued that
Nico had done a lot to help the community, although in Mark’s case, it seemed
to ring hollow. They finally voted, and the final tally was 10 for death and 2
for life. Jose then told the bailiff that they had reached a decision.
The jury entered
the courtroom, and then Judge Johnson ordered the defendant to rise, and asked
the foreman, Jose Altidor, to read the sentencing verdict. “We the jury, in the
case of State of Florida v Nicholas Arquero aka Nico Arquero, vote 10 for death
by lethal injection and 2 for life in prison without parole.” A small smile
crossed Nico’s mouth as the foreman read the vote. While he would die in
prison, at least he wouldn’t be put to death!
“Thank you,
jurors, for your hard work. You are now excused. Mr. Arquero, have you anything
to say before sentence is passed?”
His attorney
tried to stop him, but Nico ignored him. He wanted to proclaim his innocence.
“Your honor, I have been framed. Yes, I did take the life of Ned Davis, and for
that I apologize to the town and to his family. But Ned Davis was a homophobic,
racist bigot who never gave me a moment’s peace since I came to Port Jackson.
If he hadn’t tried to attack me, I would never have killed him.”
“Nico, now
you’ve done it! You didn’t show a shred of remorse! Judge Johnson looks
furious!”
“Nicholas
Arquero, you stand here in front of me today convicted of the Premeditated
First-Degree Murder of Ned Davis, and having pled guilty to the crimes of Armed
Kidnapping and First-Degree Rape of said Ned Davis. I have never seen such an
arrogant defendant in all my years on the bench! Indeed, you show no shred of
remorse for what you did to Ned! I hereby sentence you on the Armed Kidnapping
charges to Life in prison with a possibility of parole after 40 years! I
sentence you to the same on the First-Degree Rape charge. Now we come to the
conviction on Premeditated First-Degree Murder! Due to liberal Justices, I no
longer have any discretion in your sentence, but let the record show that if
you were being tried under the old Death Penalty law, that I would have gladly
sentenced you to death and even been a witness at your well-deserved execution.
I have never seen a case where the Death Penalty was more appropriate than your
case. However, I do not have that luxury. Accordingly, Nicholas Arquero, I
sentence you for the Premeditated First-Degree Murder of Ned Davis, to Life in
prison with no possibility of parole! The sentences are to run consecutively,
with the murder sentence to be run first. Now get this murderous Spic, homo
scumbag out of my court! You are remanded to the custody of the sheriff, to
remain in the county jail until next Monday, January 8, 2018, when the State
Marshals Office shall take you into their custody and deliver you to whichever
prison the State Prison Board decides is an appropriate location for you to
live out your sentence! Court is adjourned!”
Nico is taken
back to the jail and a few hours later, his attorney meets with him to discuss
his appeals.
“Nico, I told
you not to speak! If you’d have stayed silent or just apologized, you probably
would have gotten 25 to life on the lesser charges and you might be going home
before you hit 50. But now, you’ve made the appeal harder, and even if we win
on the murder charge, you’re still looking at 80 years on the other ones before
you’re freed!”
“But, Roberto, I
was being railroaded, you saw that!”
“Of course you
were! But that would have been an issue for appeal, an easy one, I might add.
Now, it’s so much harder. But I’ve already filed your first appeal. I’m trying
to get you transferred to a state prison near Miami. There are several Hispanic
judges on that appeals court, and they might look favorably on your case. Just
behave yourself, and I’ll see you after the transfer.”
“Thanks,
Roberto! I’m sorry that I screwed up, maybe I do have anger management issues.”
Nico was then
taken back to his cell where he spent the final weekend before his transfer.
The guard came in Sunday afternoon and asked him what he’d like for his last
meal.
“What do you
mean, last meal? That’s for guys on death row. I’m sentenced to Life in prison,
not death!”
“Oh, sorry, Arquero. It was a slip of the
tongue. I meant since you’re being transferred to state prison tomorrow what
would you like for your last meal here? It’s kind of a tradition.”
“Okay. Let’s
see. Steak frites, medium rare; a rioja; maybe some chicken empanadas for an
appetizer.”
“I think we can
do that. There’s a new Hispanic restaurant in town for all of you damn
foreigners!”
The guard
returned about an hour later with the food and wine. Nico greedily ate it all,
it was the best Hispanic food he’d had in ages. Then, that night, he laid down
on his bed and fell asleep.
Monday, January
8, 2018, Nico was asleep when the guard came back, unlocked his cell, and told
him that the transfer van had arrived to take him to the South Florida State
Penitentiary.
“What time is
it? It’s dark still.”
“Just after
midnight, boy! They wanted to take you while it was dark in case some of the
locals decided to take the law into their own hands. Personally, I wish they
would, Spic! Ned was a friend of mine! Now let’s go!”
Nico was marched out to the front desk, where three burly
men in State Marshal uniforms signed the papers accepting the prisoner and then
almost dragged him to the waiting van.
“Hey, what the
fuck! I’m still manacled and wearing leg irons. Take it easy, officers!”
They just
laughed at him and threw him in the back of the van. They attached his manacles
to restraints on the wall, but didn’t even turn on a light.
“Guys, it’s dark
in here. Can’t you turn on a light so I can see where we’re going?”
“Listen, you
Spic piece of shit! We’re trying to get you to South Florida in one piece, and
there are lots of guys in Port Jackson who’d like to stop us. So until we get
to our destination, we’re leaving all the lights off.”
“Okay, but take
it easy on the name-calling. I may be your prisoner, but I have rights, too,
and if you don’t stop it, I’ll complain to the warden when we arrive.”
“Listen, half
the state is pissed that you didn’t get the needle, the warden included. Now
shut the fuck up or we’ll gag you!” Nico nodded in submission.
A little while
later, the van began to rock back and forth, as if it had left the roadway.
“Guys, what
happened? It feels like we’ve left the highway.”
“Yeah, you Spic
homo murderer, we’re almost at your final destination! I can see a lot of
lights through the trees. Quite a crowd to see you off!”
“But you’re
taking me to the South Florida State Penitentiary to serve out my sentence. We
can’t be anywhere near Miami!”
“We aren’t!
We’re in the woods just outside Port Jackson.”
“What? What are
you talking about? Let me see those badges again!”
“We borrowed
them from some buddies of ours. Once we told them that we had to put a rabid
Spic homo dog down, they were happy to oblige. In fact, they’re waiting by the
big oak right in the center of the woods.”
‘NO! HELP!!! YOU
CAN’T KILL ME! SOMEBODY!”
“Hey, Carl, go
ahead and cut off his prison uniform, he ain’t gonna need it anymore.”
“And stuff his
prison underwear in his mouth. I’m sure he’s sucked a lot of cock, so his mouth
is already dirty! I don’t want to hear anymore from him till we deliver him.”
“MMMPPPHHH!!!!!!”
“Perfect,
there’s the oak right there. Go ahead and park.”
The van parks
and the men drag a naked Nico out and towards a clearing near a huge oak tree
with a noose hanging from its branches. He tries to scream, but he can’t with
his mouth gagged. He’s held tightly between two huge guards. He looks around
and recognizes most of the men. There’s the sheriff, most of the deputies, the
coroner, even Judge Johnson in his court robes. And what’s this? Mark Anderson,
the white juror who voted against the death sentence is here! What the hell is
going on? Suddenly Judge Johnson speaks.
“Nico Arquero, I
am vacating my prior sentence as to your crimes. I will now re-sentence you on the First-Degree Rape and
Premeditated First-Degree Murder charges. For the crime of First-Degree Rape,
you are hereby sentenced to be fully castrated, both dick and balls!”
Nico struggles
to get free. He tries to protest but his dirty underwear are still in his
mouth.
“For the crime
of Premeditated First-Degree Murder of my son-in-law, Jed Davis, the court
hereby sentences you to death by hanging, and your body is to be left to rot as
a warning to other illegal immigrants that might try to start a crime wave in
our town! Remove the prisoner’s gag. I want to hear his screams!”
Nico takes a
breath and then begins to rant! “You can’t do this! It ain’t legal! This is
nothing more than a lynch mob! You better release me if you know what’s good
for you!”
Judge Johnson
said, “Why don’t you just confess what you did? It’ll make it easier on you
when you meet Jesus, although personally I think you’re going straight to
HELL!”
“Judge Johnson,
if Ned was your son-in-law, you should have recused yourself! The whole trial
was a farce!”
“You know, I’ve
had about enough out of you! Guard, would you be so kind as to silence the
prisoner?”
“With pleasure!”
The guard turns and strikes Nico with his police baton across the back of the
head, not hard enough to kill Nico, but hard enough to knock him out. They then
lay him out flat on the ground, face up. There are stakes at his sides, and
they attach manacles to the stakes and to his wrists and ankles. Everyone waits
for him to awaken.
“Ah, welcome
back, Arquero. Struggle all you like. Those manacles should feel familiar,
they’re the same ones you used to restrain Ned when you raped and killed him!
Now, is Mark Anderson here? Hi, Mark. I think you know Mark, he’s the white
juror that voted to give you life.”
“If you thought
I deserved Life, why are you here, Mark?”
“Oh, Arquero,
you piece of shit! I was put on the jury to make sure you didn’t get the easy
way out with the needle! We wanted to give you some good old Panhandle Florida
justice! Did you know I’m a farmer, Arqueero?”
“The name’s
Arquero!”
“You’re a homo
Spic who killed one of our men. As far as any of us are concerned, you’re
Arqueero, and that’s how we’ll refer to you in your final minutes of existence.
You ready for me to do my job, Judge?”
“Yes, Mark. You
may proceed!”
“Okay, first
thing I have to do is get this fucker nice and hard. It makes it so much easier
to get it all with my tools. Does that feel good, Arqueero? It must, because
you’re sure getting hard. That’s good, keep getting harder!”
“Get your hands
off me! You damn motherfucker! I hope you all rot in HELL! Won’t somebody help
me?”
“Gee, Arqueero,
listen to you begging! I’ll bet Ned sounded just about like that when you were
raping and murdering him! You probably tore him apart with that rod; it’s a
good seven inches long, and six inches around. Fuck, that had to hurt!”
“Ned got exactly
what he deserved! It wasn’t murder!”
“Suit yourself,
Arqueero! It don’t matter to me. Now I take this band and tie it tightly at the
root, entrapping both his balls and cock. He’ll stay hard, but with the band in
place, he can’t possibly cum.”
“Now I take my
tool here and put it right behind the band. The beauty of this is that there’s
almost no blood but it hurts like fuck! Still, the coroner has offered to cauterize
it so the fucker don’t bleed out!”
“I’m ready,
Mark! Let’s geld that Arqueero!”
Mark squeezes
the handles, and with one cut, Nico’s dick and balls come away in his other
hand. Nico begins screaming in agony!
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”
“Okay, Mark. I
got the little bit of bleeding stopped. What’s next?”
“I’m going to
poke two holes, one into each ballsack. Then I’m going to run a cord through
them so it’s like a necklace. Doesn’t that look hot? Oh, looks like Arqueero
passed out from the pain. Lucky I have some smelling salts! Wake up for your
hanging, Arqueero!”
“You damn
assholes! What have you done? Fuck, it hurts like HELL!”
“It won’t hurt
much longer, Arqueero, at least not in this life. I figure that you’ll have
plenty of pain and suffering in HELL once Satan gets hold of you!”
“Okay, boys.
Let’s get him up under that noose.”
They undid his
wrist manacles from the post, and then quickly re-secured them behind his back
while he was too weak to resist. Then they removed the manacles from his ankles
and walked him to a stool under the noose. With Nico still weak from the
castration, two guards had to help hold him upright.
“Sheriff, would
you do the honors of giving Arqueero his new jewelry?”
“Jewelry, what
jewelry, sheriff?”
“This,
Arqueero!” He shows Nico his genitals hanging from a rope. Nico tries to move
his head, but the sheriff has no trouble putting the necklace around his neck.
Nico hangs his head in shame, both from his nakedness and from having his
genitals hanging from his neck and resting on his chest.
The sheriff now
gets the honor of placing the noose around Nico’s neck. Nico again tries to
resist, but he’s too weak to avoid the sheriff. Once it’s in place, he reads
the death warrant.
“The court
sentences Nico Arquero, Spic, homo rapist and murderer to hang by the neck
until dead. The hanging is to occur on Monday, January 8, 2018 at dawn in the
woods outside Port Jackson, Florida. The body to be left hanging as a deterrent
to other members of the illegal alien community, and to deprive this worthless
son of a bitch of eternal rest! Signed this 8th day of January, in
the Year of Our Lord, 2018. Signed by Honorable Horace Johnson, Circuit Judge
for Andrews County, Florida.”
Once the sheriff
finished reading the death warrant, Judge Johnson told him to carry out the
sentence at once.
The sheriff
smiled at Nico, who was still in shock from the castration, and shaking with
fear, knowing that he was just a few minutes from death. “Arqueero, do you have
any last words before the sentence of the court is carried out?”
Nico struggled,
but found one last reserve of strength towards these men who were about to
murder him. “Yes, sheriff! FUCK ALL OF YOU!!!”
Sheriff Davis
replied, “You wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t used your dick as a weapon,
Arqueero!”
He then kicked
away the stool. The rope had been set to give Arquero no drop, so he just hung
there a few feet from the ground as the noose began to tighten and strangle
him. Nico began to bob around on the noose, with his legs moving and reaching
in vain for the forest floor, while he struggled to free his wrists from the
manacles. The crowd began taunting him.
“Hey, Arqueero,
show us some of them Spic dance moves!”
“Man, the last
time I saw anything jerk around like that, it was a fish on my line at Lake
Louisa!”
“Look at his
wrists! If he doesn’t stop struggling, he’s gonna rub them raw!”
“Hey, Arqueero,
I thought you were a black belt in karate! How much is that of use with you
hanging to death?”
“Why don’t you
say something, Arqueero? Noose got your tongue? HAHAHAHAHA!”
Nico continued
to hang, his body turning a light red as it starved for oxygen. He kept jerking
on the noose as his blood slowed, causing some of it to pool in his
extremities, also he’s now rubbed his wrists raw and a small amount of blood
drips from them onto the ground.
Now the men
decided to humiliate Nico even more. They all dropped their pants, encircled
the dying man, masturbated their cocks and then shot load after load of cum on
Nico.
“We know you’re
a homo, Arqueero, and figured that you’d like one last dose of cum!
HAHAHAHAHA!”
A few minutes
later, Nico’s body begins to slow in its gyrations as his complexion goes from
red to purple to blue. His tongue begins to protrude from between his lips.
“Hey, Arqueero,
didn’t that bitch of a mother of yours teach you it’s not polite to stick your
tongue out? HAHAHAHA!”
“Are you out of
dance moves? Hell, my dog has better moves!”
“Looks like he’s
about done! He just stopped moving, just slowly rotating around. Yeah, he’s
done! He just pissed himself!”
Nico finally
lost consciousness and died, his last sensation being a mixture of warm piss
and blood oozing from his groin and slowly wrapping itself around his legs,
until finally reaching his toes where it dripped onto the forest floor like a
gentle rain. The men waited about an hour, and then left the corpse to rot
where it hung, with the following sign draped around its neck.
“SPICS WHO CAUSE
TROUBLE IN THIS TOWN END UP LIKE HIM”.
