(Raul Herrera-left, Angel Cervantes-right)
A Nampa man has been sentenced for kidnapping and murdering another man over drug money.
Raul Herrera was found guilty of 1st degree murder, among other charges, after a jury deliberated for 3 hours yesterday. Herrera and his co-defendant, Angel Cervantes, were both arrested after police say they got a tip that Herrera and Cervantes had talked about killing Jeffrey Dyer because he owed them money.
Cervantes testified in Herrera’s trial saying they wore black hoodies and ski masks and then broke into Dyer’s home in Nampa in November. Cervantes says he kept Dyer’s father on the ground while Herrera beat Dyer, but that’s when they noticed Dyer wasn’t breathing. They stole some items from the home including drugs and food and then stuffed Dyer’s body into the trunk of his car. They ditched the car in Ontario, Oregon where it was later found by police.
An autopsy showed that Dyer died from blunt force trauma.
The Idaho Statesman reports, Herrera has always claimed he is innocent and denied to police about knowing about Dyer or the crimes when he was arrested. Court documents say police interviewed Herrera about Dyer’s murder and he kept complaining about tightness in his chest and got sick several times.
Cervantes has already pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder.
The date of Herrera’s sentencing hearings have not been released.
(Jeffrey Dyer)
