Verdict reached in trial for Maddy Middleton's murderer ...Middle East

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KRON) -- Twelve jurors reached a verdict Wednesday deciding the fate of a man who murdered 8-year-old Madyson "Maddy" Middleton in Santa Cruz.

The jury's verdict will be read on Wednesday afternoon. KRON4's reporter is in the courtroom and will have updates. Attorneys, Maddy's family, and law enforcement officers were still gathering at 2:50 p.m. to hear the verdict.

For their deliberations, jurors had to decide if the convicted killer, 25-year-old Adrian Gonzalez, is still too dangerous to be released from custody. Gonzalez has served nearly a decade in juvenile custody, and under California's juvenile justice laws, he is eligible to be freed from custody.

Gonzalez was 15-years-old when he lured Maddy into his mother's apartment at the Tannery Arts Center on July 26, 2015, he admitted on the stand. Gonzalez strangled the girl on his bed, sexually assaulted her when she fell unconscious, and stabbed Maddy to death inside a trash can.

California law states that anyone who is 15 years old, or younger, at the time of their crime should be released from custody when they turn 25, regardless of the severity of their crime.

The jury's verdict had to answer one question: If released from custody, will Gonzalez pose an "unreasonable risk of danger" to the public? Jurors could have voted to answer that question as "true," to keep him locked up, or "untrue," to grant freedom.

For his trial, the jury listened to months of testimony in Santa Cruz County Superior Court with Judge Denine Guy presiding.

During closing arguments last week, the prosecutor told jurors that Gonzalez wore a "mask" when he testified on the stand that was "meant to trick us into believing he’s safe … into believing he’s rehabilitated. Secrets, callous, lack of empathy -- that’s all innate in him. He hid who he was (in 2015), and he’s hiding who he is now."

Prosecutor Tara George said, "He’s deceived every single person he’s ever come into contact with. Adrian Gonzalez is the ultimate chameleon."

One reason why Gonzalez is still dangerous, according to George, is his lack of empathy and remorse for murdering Maddy. "He told you he hasn’t shed one tear," George said. "Everybody in this room has shed tears about what happened. The community has cried. Adrian? Not a tear."

The prosecutor told jurors that Gonzalez is a sexually deviant psychopath. "That little girl had no idea what was coming. He wanted her to suffer. We know he was influenced by porn and by serial killers," she said.

For his closing arguments, defense attorney Charlie Stevens told jurors that Gonzalez wanted to show the jury that he’s a good person. Through years of rehabilitation programs, sex offender treatment, and therapy, he is no longer a depressed and suicidal teenager who doesn't care about anyone, Stevens said.

If the jury denies granting Gonzalez freedom, he will be eligible for a new trial in two years.

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