One of two defendants acquitted in Alarice Andrewin triple murder trial after caution statement is thrown out

By Aaron Humes: Following a voir dire, one of two defendants has been acquitted of the triple murder of vice-principal of Excelsior High School Alarice Andrewin, 44; Vidal Yuman, 39; and Guatemalan Maria Juarez Lucas, 19, at Andrewin’s residence at Mile 10 ½ George Price Highway six years ago this month. The other will stand trial for the murders.

Kyle Zetina, 25, and Shawn Flores, 23, were accused of carrying out the murders on June 3, 2018, with the bodies found by police the following day. Each of Andrewin, Yuman, and Lucas had been shot in the head. Flores was only 18 and Zetina 19 when they were charged.

But Flores was ordered released by High Court Justice Candace Nanton after she found that his caution statement could not be admitted as it was not willingly given to police – in fact, it was established that it was beaten out of him, and there was no other evidence before the court to link him to the triple killing.

Zetina is represented by defense counsel Norman Rodriguez and Flores was represented by Norman Moore. Senior Crown Counsel Sheiniza Smith prosecuted.

Defense counsel Moore said his client was vindicated by the caution statement being thrown out: “With a caution statement, it is in essence like a confession, but again that statement must have been done voluntarily, without any threats, promise or force by the Police, and the Crown could not prove that that did not happen.”

Flores would only tell our court reporter it felt good to be free before heading into Battlefield Park to meet waiting relatives.

Meanwhile, Zetina’s trial began this morning after the judge ruled that the evidence against him, including a caution statement, police interview, and oral statement was admissible. It continues on July 15.

Rodriguez said his client is ready to proceed with the case: “His admissions, his utterances are now admitted as evidence against him in this trial. At this point, the defendant, the sole defendant, Kyle Zetina, has chosen to proceed to trial. So, we will continue with the substantive case now and the witnesses will be called and we will see if, by our cross-examination, we can satisfy the court that the Crown will not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, overall.”

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