Torres found guilty of capital murder

NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF Mauricio Torres walks to a waiting car under escort from Benton County deputies on Monday while leaving the Benton County Courthouse Annex in Bentonville. Torres was found guilty Monday of capital murder and first-degree battery in the death of his 6-year-old son.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF Mauricio Torres walks to a waiting car under escort from Benton County deputies on Monday while leaving the Benton County Courthouse Annex in Bentonville. Torres was found guilty Monday of capital murder and first-degree battery in the death of his 6-year-old son.

BENTONVILLE -- It took a jury less than a hour to find a Bella Vista man guilty of killing his 6-year-old son.

Mauricio Torres, 45, was found guilty Monday of capital murder and first-degree battery. Prosecutors will seek the death penalty. The boy's mother, Cathy Torres, 44, also is charged with capital murder and first-degree battery in the case. Her trial will be in May 2017.

About the case

Mauricio Torres, 45, faces a death senternce or life imprisonment after being found guilty of capital murder on Monday. He faces from five to 20 years in prison for the first-degree battery conviction.

Source: Staff report

The jury of seven women and five men found Torres responsible for the death of Maurice Isaiah Torres. The boy died died March 30, 2015. A medical examiner testified the boy's death was caused by a bacterial infection as result of being raped with a stick. The medical examiner testified the chronic child abuse also contributed to the boy's death.

The jury began deliberations at 12:20 p.m. Monday and reached its verdicts shortly after 1 p.m.

Torres did not show any reaction after hearing the jury's decisions.

Jeff Rosenzweig, one of Torres' attorneys, requested the jury be polled. Each juror stood and told Benton County Circuit Judge Brad Karren, confirming the verdicts.

"This rape was a sadistic act of sexual torture," Nathan Smith, Benton County's prosecuting attorney, said in his closing statement.

Smith told jurors Torres, an occupational therapist, had medical knowledge and was aware "shoving that stick up the rectum of a 6-year-old child" could kill him.

Bill James, another one of Torres' attorneys, told jurors in his closing statements Torres never intended to kill his son and the stick was used for a punishment and not for sexual purposes.

Sentencing proceedings began after the verdicts were announced.

During those proceedings, a now 21-year-old woman told jurors Mauricio Torres not only physically abused her but also sexually abused her. "He beat me because I gave a keychain to a friend," she said as she stared at Torres. "Not only did you beat me ... ."

Stuart Cearley, chief deputy prosecutor, interrupted her as she began to speak to the defendant.

Torres shook his head as the witness described the abuse to the jury. It was one of the few times Torres reacted to the testimony during the trial. He has spent most of the trial just looking down.

Torres' defense team will begin to present its case today in the sentencing phase. His father and uncle are two witnesses the defense is scheduled to call to testify.

General News on 11/16/2016