Breaking News: Jeff Conroy GUILTY of 1st Degree Manslaughter as a Hate Crime of Marcelo Lucero! Mother Forgives!

BREAKING NEWS: Jeffrey Conroy's track record of targeting "Mexicans" and his confession to police that he and his friends would sometimes go "Beaner Stomping" made it clear to jurors that the killing of Marcelo Lucero was a Hate Crime, the jurors said. Conroy, the Long Island man accused of stabbing and killing an Ecuadorean immigrant in a racially motivated attack was convicted today of Manslaughter as a hate crime, a less serious crime than the initial Murder charge — saving him from spending the rest of his life behind bars, a much shorter sentence then he inflicted on Marcelo.

Seventeen months after the stabbing in 2008 and 24 miles from the parking lot in Patchogue where police found a 370-foot trail of Marcelo's blood leading to his stabbed body, the jury forewoman rose in State Supreme Court to read the verdict, ending four days of deliberations. Conroy was found guilty of first-degree Manslaughter as a Hate Crime and Gang Assault in connection with the death of Marcelo, and guilty of attempted assaults on three other Latino men they "Beaner Stomped." Conroy was acquitted of the most serious of the 20 charges against him, second-degree murder as a Hate Crime. On the Manslaughter charge alone, Conroy faces a minimum of eight years and a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 26. As the verdict was read, the courtroom was virtually silent. When Conroy sat down, he bowed his head for a few moments, long forgetting his words to his buddies after the murder "What if I get away with it."

The Lucero family and their supporters, including a representative of the Ecuadorean government’s National Department of Migrants, expressed confidence in recent days that the prosecution had indeed proven that Mr. Conroy was guilty of murder and that justice would be served.

Though she was devastated by her son's murder and the subsequent trial, Marcelo's Christian Mother still found it in her heart to forgive her son's murderer. Speaking slowly and in Spanish, her eyes fixed, Rosario Lucero said Monday she will always carry the pain of having lost a son but she forgives those involved in his fatal stabbing.

Governor David Patterson announced the following statement: "Today, Jeffrey Conroy was found guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime for the fatal attack against Marcelo Lucero. Just hours after the news of the crime broke, it became clear that the impetus for this heinous act was nothing less than prejudice, revealing an anti-immigrant sentiment that threatens not only those who speak another language or look differently, but all New Yorkers. Today's verdict makes clear that New York has no tolerance for such intolerance; acts committed in the name of hatred will be fully prosecuted. However, our battle against bigotry continues. We must continue our work to fight discrimination - whether motivated by race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. I remain committed to working with my partners in government and law enforcement officials to ensure swift and certain justice."

While the jury rightly found Conroy guilty of a serious crime, I am awaiting the sentencing. This was a particularly heinous crime, one initiated by the Caucasian Crew seeking Latinos in a Latino neighborhood to "Beaner Stomp." Conroy should have been found guilty of the murder he confessed to committing. This was a serious Hate Crime, perpetrated by HATE and RACISM. The sentence will provide all observers with an example of what sentence they will receive if they even consider committing another Hate Crime of this nature. The Sentence should deter future such events from happening again.

Caucasian Crew Leader, Jeff Conroy, Confessed Murderer of Marcelo Lucero, Trial to begin Wednesday (3/17)

On the night of November 8, 2008, as Marcelo Lucero lay dead on the ground in the Patchogue, Long Island streets, Jeff Conroy admitted to police he plunged a knife into Marcelo's midsection. Member's of Conroy's Caucasian Crew admitted they were out, letting off steam, Beaner Stomping. They admitted they only Beaner Stomped once a week.

Opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday (tomorrow) in Conroy's trial. Conroy is charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, both as Hate Crimes, in the murder of Ecuadorean immigrant Lucero. A panel of seven men and five women was seated last Friday. Both Keahon and Assistant District Attorney Megan O'Donnell said they believe four alternate jurors will be picked Tuesday (today).

In court this week, the attorney for Conroy, William Keahon of Hauppauge, made an unsuccessful last-minute bid to have a mistrial declared in the murder trial in Riverhead. Earlier Monday, Keahon demanded that a black cloth hanging from the defense table he shares with Conroy be removed for the trial. The cloth shields jurors' view of a defendant's legs when he or she is wearing leg shackles. Noting Conroy is not shackled, Keahon twice referred to the cloth as a "shroud" that might influence jurors. "I think it looks . . . like we are participating in a ceremonial burial," Keahon said.Doyle agreed to have the cloth removed, but said it could not be done immediately because the cloth is fastened by screws."I can bring in the Phillips head screwdriver and remove it myself," Keahon said. Doyle said the cloth would be removed Monday night. It appears Keahon is relying on the old lawyer's tactic, when all else fails, change the subject.

Jury selection in Marcelo Lucero murder trial set for March 1; Beaner Stompers to Face Justice!

Readers: Please put this date on your calendars! March 1, 2010 ---

Jury selection for the highly anticipated trial of Jeffrey Conroy, the leader of the Caucasian Crew and charged in the hate killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue, will begin March 1, according to his defense attorney, William Keahon of Islandia. Conroy, 18, of Medford, is the first of the seven teenagers charged with first-degree gang assault and fourth-degree conspiracy in the Nov. 8, 2008, killing of Marcelo Lucero.

As you may recall, the Caucasian Crew stalked Latinos weekly in the streets of Patchogue, NY. For "fun", high school students roamed the streets of Patchogue to "Beaner Stomp." On November 9, 2008, Jeff Conroy led his crew in Beaner Stomping Marcelo Lucero and stabbing him to death in the streets.

Jury selection begins March 1, 2010. I will be reporting on this story until the jury makes its decision and Justice is served.

Details of the Crime

Police Statement Says Jeff Conroy Confessed in "Beaner Stomper" Murder of Marcelo Lucero!

Newsday Reports:

A knife in his right hand extended outward, Jeffrey Conroy went toward the "Spanish guy" who was swinging his belt, according to a written statement he made to Suffolk police hours after the fatal stabbing of Marcelo Lucero ."His back was to me and as I ran towards him he turned to face me," according to the statement, made Nov. 9, 2008. "He was about four or five feet from me, I continued to run towards him and stabbed him once in either his shoulder or chest."Minutes later as police approached, Conroy confessed, according to his statement. "I told the cop that my knife was tucked in my boxers and I was the one who stabbed the guy," he said in the statement obtained by Newsday. "I don't blame the Spanish guy for swinging the belt at us. It was obvious that he wanted to get the [expletive] out of there. He was ready to defend himself . . . "The "guy" was Lucero, 37, an legal Ecuadorean immigrant whose death authorities have labeled a hate crime. Seven former Patchogue - Medford High School students were charged with gang assault and conspiracy in connection with Lucero's death. Conroy, now 18, of Medford , was also charged with murder and manslaughter as a hate crime. Nicholas Hausch and Jose Pacheco have pleaded guilty; the other five, including Conroy, are awaiting trial. Pretrial hearings begin Wednesday on whether Conroy's statement was taken appropriately and can be used in a trial.

Conroy's attorney, William Keahon of Islandia , did not return calls for comment Tuesday. He previously has said police were "creative" in taking the statement. When asked two months ago about excerpts from Conroy's statement quoted in court papers, in which Conroy referred to regularly going out and looking for Latino people to beat up, Keahon said, "He never said those words, he never said anything like it."Handwritten statements by each of the seven teens - written by Suffolk detectives based on interviews and signed by the defendants - were obtained by Newsday.The statements tell a similar story of the night of Nov. 8, 2008: a group of teenagers hanging out at a local park, eventually leaving, determined to find Latinos to beat up.In each statement, the seven defendants said they were near the Patchogue train station, where several of them approach Lucero and a companion and provoke a fight. Both Lucero and his companion defended themselves by swinging their belts, according to the statements. One of them "yelled at us that he had been in this country 20 years," Jordan Dasch's statement read. None of the other six defendants witnessed Conroy stab Lucero, according to their statements, and none realized Lucero was stabbed until Conroy told them as they walked away."Jeff said . . . 'I stabbed that guy.' At first I didn't believe him, but when he showed me his knife with blood on it I knew it was no joke," read Kevin Shea's statement. Shea's attorney argued in court last week the statement was coerced.One defendant suggested Conroy toss the knife, according to multiple statements.

"I tried to wash the blood off in a puddle, but there was still blood on it," Conroy's statement read.