LAKEPORT — A man accused of the 2002 murder of a Clearlake woman is currently on trial for a four-year-old murder.
Edward James Munoz, 25, is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole if found guilty of the death of Leah Leister, a 26-year-old single mother who was murdered in her Clearlake apartment four years ago.
On Wednesday, Deputy District Attorney Richard Hinchcliff, the case”s prosecutor, called to the stand a witness who reportedly was present at Leister”s murder.
The witness, who is not being named to protect his identity, testified to seeing “smeared blood” on Munoz, seeing Munoz”s glove dripping with blood and hearing Munoz say of Leister, “She”s not dead. She won”t die.”
The witness testified that he was afraid he himself would be accused of a crime he did not commit and said in regard to Munoz that, “I watched him make this brutal murder right in front of me.”
When questioned by Hinchcliff regarding whether he thought the murder might be gang-related, the witness responded affirmatively and stated he thought that because Munoz had said “they” wanted duct tape to be placed on Leister in a certain way and that he did not “know how deep the situation went.”
Munoz had previously told detectives when he was interviewed that the murder was ordered by Norteno gang members.
The trial will resume Friday with a witness who was at one time incarcerated with Munoz, and gang expert Matt Buechner with the Special Investigative Unit of the California Dept of Corrections will testify next Tuesday.
The District Attorney has chosen not to pursue the death penalty in lieu of pursuing life in prison without parole.
Munoz has pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Hinchcliff has been the prosecutor in the case since charges were first filed against Munoz, although Munoz”s date with justice has been elusive after a parade of defense lawyers either resigned or were dismissed by Munoz.
Judge Arthur Mann is presiding over the trial.
Contact Cynthia Davis at cdavis@record-bee.com.
