Brothers Change Testimony in Palatine Double Murder Trial, Claim Police Scared Them Into Making Original Statements

Brothers who claimed a Palatine teen had grabbed a handgun from a pile of hats and said he had to "take care of something" the night a father and son were killed changed and contradicted their original testimony in the opening days of the double murder trial, the Chicago Tribune reports.

On Wednesday, Panfilo Gaytan Jr, 17, and Adalberto Gaytan, 16, told jurors they initially implicated Marco Lopez, the Palatine teen on trial for the murders of Segundo and Luis Reynoso, out of fear because police threatened to deport their parents, the report stated. Those original statements—which the brothers now claim they made up— described Lopez grabbing a gun the night of the murders, tucking it into his waistband and leaving the apartment he shared with the brothers, according to the report.

The next day, prosecutors tried to do damage control by showing a video of Adalberto Gaytan explaining to an assistant state's attorney that Lopez, 19, looked nervous when he returned to the apartment about an hour later, the report added.

The Reynosos were found dead March 19, 2014, in their unit in the Baldwin Green Apartment complex in the 1900 block of Green Lane North. Luis, 15, died from multiple gunshots to the face, and Segundo, 38, was killed from a single shot to the head.

More Coverage on Patch

• Witness Testifies He Saw Palatine Teen After Hearing Gunshot on Night of Double Murder
• Trial for Teen Accused of Father-Son Double Murder Begins
• Teen Held Without Bail on Murder Charges in Father, Son Shooting

Lopez, who was 17 at the time of the killings, faces two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors claim he killed the Reynosos because he thought Luis Reynoso was snitching to police about illegal activities Lopez was involved with. Lopez and Luis were allegedly members of the same street gang, and the Reynosos' neighborhood has a strong gang presence.

Lopez's attorneys contend the Reynosos' real killer is a member of a different gang who has disappeared after police questioned and released him. No murder weapon has been recovered, and Lopez's fingerprints and DNA were not found at the crime scene.

Jurors also heard investigators testify Thursday, describing the crime scene. While examining the scene, detectives discovered two young daughters of Segundo Reynoso, unharmed, hiding in the apartment, the report stated. Police also recovered six .38-caliber bullets from the unit, the report added.

More via the Chicago Tribune

PHOTO: Marco Lopez (Image via Cook County Sheriff's Office)

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