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George Molina LOPEZ
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Child
abuse
Number of victims: 1
Date of murder: August 26,
1989
Date of birth:
February 5,
1953
Victim profile: 1-year-old
son, Anthony
Method of murder:
Beating
Location: Pima County, Arizona, USA
Status: Sentenced to death on May 17, 1990
Date of Birth: February
5, 1953
Defendant: Hispanic
Victim: Hispanic
In August 1989, Lopez was living
in a Tucson apartment with his girlfriend, and their 1-year-old son,
Anthony.
Around 10:00 a.m. on August 26,
the mother went shopping and left Anthony home with Lopez.
When she returned around noon,
Anthony had bruises on his forehead and chin and seemed unusually quiet.
Lopez told her that the child had pulled a nightstand over on top of
himself.
She wanted to take the boy to a
doctor, but Lopez persuaded her he would be all right. About 2 hours
later, she went to the laundromat. When she returned, Lopez was
performing CPR on Anthony. They took the child to the hospital where he
died a short time later.
The autopsy showed that Anthony
had numerous bruises on his face, chest and back, a skull fracture on
each side of the back of his head, broken ribs and a torn pancreas.
Lopez' convictions and sentences were affirmed on direct appeal.
PROCEEDINGS
Presiding Judge: Margaret M. Houghton
Prosecutors: Sylvia Lafferty and Allen McVey
Start of Trial: April 3, 1990
Verdict: April 10, 1990
Sentencing: May 17, 1990
Aggravating Circumstances:
Especially heinous/cruel/depraved
Victim under 15
Mitigating Circumstances:
None sufficient to call for leniency
PUBLISHED
OPINIONS
State v. Lopez (George M.), 174 Ariz. 131, 847 P.2d 1078 (1992).
