The Government of Mexico is planning a lawsuit against George Alan Kelly, the southern Arizona rancher who was accused of murdering an illegal immigrant from Mexico, after prosecutors decided against pursuing the case further following a mistrial.
Attorney Brenna Larkin, who represented Kelly at trial, confirmed Mexico’s plans to participate in civil litigation to NewsNation reporter Ali Bradley. Kelly (pictured above) was accused of murdering Gabriel Cuen-Butimea, and the rancher admitted to firing warning shots while a group of armed Mexican nationals trespassed on his ranch near Nogales, Arizona.
Following the news, Larkin explained, “The defense is curious about the Mexican government’s continued involvement in this case, and its attempts to influence judicial proceedings in this case.”
Larkin added, “The deceased in this case was clearly involved in criminal activity. The presence of the radio, and his previous photograph involving the radio, binoculars, camouflage clothing, and the fanny pack, all indicate a criminal lifestyle,” and offered, “We would hope that the Mexican consul general would encourage their citizens to respect the laws of the United States, just as we encourage our citizens to respect the laws of Mexico.”
NEW: Mexico is now working with Cuen-Buitimea’s family to sue George Alan Kelly according to his attorney, Brenna Larkin.
Here is her response:
“The defense is curious about the Mexican government's continued involvement in this case, and its attempts to influence judicial…
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) May 2, 2024
Bradley additionally reported that Kelly is considering legal options against the county.
After the mistrial was declared, attorneys for Kelly confirmed that all but one juror were ready to acquit the rancher and predicted her client would be uninterested in any plea deals to resolve the case. Prosecutors ultimately stated they will not try Kelly a second time.
“I believe I showed the state had no evidence, and therefore I was confident that I would get a not guilty through the trial if the jurors did what they were supposed to do,” said Kathy Lowthorp, the other attorney who represented Kelly. She explained, “when they were hung, I still believed that I had more in my court than for guilt, so therefore I wanted them to go back and see if they could convince the holdout.”
Kelly previously raised more than $350,000 for his defense using the Christian fundraising website GiveSendGo after his fundraiser was banned by GoFundMe.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “George Alan Kelly” by NewsNation.
