A man has been found guilty by a jury for the double homicide of two people he fatally shot in their bedroom, a verdict reached after a mere hour and a half of deliberations. Jilson Avelar-Rodriguez faces a lifetime behind bars without the chance for parole, a sentence automatically imposed due to the prosecution's decision to refrain from seeking the death penalty.
The trial, which has faced several years of delays, centered around the gruesome deaths of Nicholas “Trey” Milanovich, 23, and Julia Wright, 21, who were killed on Sept. 30, 2018. The scene of the crime, detailed in court, placed Wright's body outside an apartment in the 8600 block of Fairhaven Street while Milanovich was discovered deceased in his bed.
Evidence presented to the jurors included a video lasting over two hours of the defendant's interrogation. Within this footage, Avelar-Rodriguez can be heard confessing to the killings saying, “The truth is I did fire,” according to a statement obtained by KSAT. “I fired at both of them. Then I opened the door and I left.”
Throughout the chilling confession, Avelar-Rodriguez claims he was coerced into committing the murders by his girlfriend, Melissa Cortez. "She made me and told me, ‘No, you’re going to do it because if not, it, well I’m going to have someone do something to you,’” he said in the video. He further alleged that Cortez, who was involved in drug sales and had grievances with Milanovich for also selling drugs, handed him the murder weapon on the night of the killings, as reported by KSAT.
For a comprehensive overview of the trial's proceedings and the case against Jilson Avelar-Rodriguez, interested individuals are directed to watch "Open Court: The trial of Jilson Avelar-Rodriguez" on KSAT.
