A jury has convicted the suspected gunman in a homicide which occurred nearly 18 years ago, the Pima County Attorney's Office said Friday afternoon.
Joseph Javier Romero, 36, was identified as the suspect in the shooting death of 43-year-old Skeets A. Matthews, seven years after Matthews was killed on June 23, 2000 in a mobile home park on Tucson's northside.Β
At the scene, a cell phone near Matthews and six .40 caliber bullet casings were placed into evidence, but the case was closed when no further developments were made.
The Tucson Police Department re-opened the cold-case in 2007 and found the registered owners of the phone. The owners told authorities that the phone was purchased for a friend named "Joe."
Detectives were able to identify Romero as a suspect, who had previously done time in prison for a home invasion in July 2000, while armed with a .40-caliber pistol.
Through forensic tests detectives determined the gun was the same weapon used in Matthews' death. Romero was indicted in October 2010.
In the first trial in 2011, a hung jury occurred. Romero was later convicted in a second trial in 2012 but the ruling was overturned after an appeal. "The issue was whether Romero should be allowed to call an expert to rebut the science underlying firearms toolmark comparisons," the county attorney's office said.
In the third trial, which concluded this week, a jury convicted Romero of second-degree murder. His sentencing is scheduled for May 3.
