San Antonio? I'm really close to there! Glad they caught the sick bastard. It's sad to think that someone would do this to a person.

DukeOfPwn

Why it took so long?

I don't know much about homicide cases and I know some can become cold, but I always had the impression that usually a case is resolved within a few months or (if they are lucky) a few weeks. But over a year?

What caused the delay?

Deaf Mute

I live in San Antonio, glad they caught him finally.

Talryyn

@AdeptVoice:

lol

tooji

Good. One less scumbag on the run.
Condolences to the family.

heretrix

@NiGHTSSTUDiO: Disgusting, isn't it? Of course he probably sold all of that to buy himself maybe a month's supply of hard drugs.

*sigh* I'm glad they caught him though.

ƒox

Good! And also good on EB Games for putting $95,000 towards catching the guy. That's gotta make any bounty hunter take notice.

thefais

The store must have sold his PreOrder copy..

Rondogg

@Antiflow: Way to keep it classy in a post about someone who was horrifically murdered and how the suspect was apprehended. What does your comment even have to do with anything?

PhiCancri

Im glad they have a suspect, if he committed the crime he needs to pay. Too bad it wont bring the girl back and the family still has to deal with the pain. I just hope nobody else has to go thru this.

ichiban1081

He will be charged with accidentally hurting someone with a plastic bag and sentenced to 1 year in prison, then when freed will be allowed to continue claiming social benefits, oh wait i thought this happened in the UK.

londonlad

I just hope it takes a shorter time to remove this waste of space than it did Jose Medellin.

chip5541

I am the Po-lice, You have to do what I say.

Antiflow

i'm glad they caught him, stuff like this makes me sick.
also, good on ebgames to offer that huge reward. despite all the shit as they get from everyone, that was a kind gesture.

friedgold

It's good they caught the guy. This reminds of a case here in Georgia, some guy went into a GS and duct-taped the employees hands, mouth, etc. - but one of them suffocated to death. They caught the guy though...

kosbee

I don't don't support capital punishment, so I say let him rot in jail for the rest of his life, but seeing as this is Texas, they'll more than likely give him the chair.

Purple Flames

It took a while, it sounds like they finally got the right guy. It's a terrible tragedy for that family. I hope they can take some comfort in knowing that he's in custody.

TitillatedOcelot

Glad the got this guy... clearly this guy needs to be taken out of the gene pool ASAP. Life in prison no, he's not worth the tax money.

tkshredder

Hope they throw away the key. Justice may be blind, but it will always get the guilty in the end*.

*Please, let me live believing in this, ok?

Shiryu

There was another GameStop manager killed earlier this year as well, outside his store. I haven't heard anything else about it since I left the company.

ChimDeathmonkey

Wow. I never heard about this, glad they caught the guy.

theuglyteradon

good to hear that justice was served.

frankbeans

I'm getting tired of these tragic stories in my Kotaku.

Super_Koopa

@jimb213: Assaulting members of a fringe religious group?

AngryEddy

We just did a few executions this week here in TX. Looks like we already have someone to fill one of those empty cells on death row.

AdeptVoice

"Belken was found dead in the store's safe at 2 p.m. on Jan. 30, 2007, suffocated by a plastic bag. Video games, consoles and $1,500 were taken,"

So he killed a human being for approx 3 years of entertainment?

What the hell is wrong with people today? If he had let her live, his punishment would have been less severe.

Does anyone ever think of the consequences of their actions anymore?

NiGHTSSTUDiO

what's secual assault?

jimb213

Wow. Good on EB Games for putting up that reward money.

JibbyJam

You can't evade the Law Buddy!

kaish

You can't Evade the LAW Buddy!

kaish

Glad they caught him.

RET_Ghost

What a hard time that probably was for Belken's family. God bless them.

Al2x

I will never understand how some people can do sick shit like this.. I'm glad they found him.

warxsnake

I, too, wonder if he's an illegal immigrant. They've put one to death this week for murder here in Texas, and another one is planned for today or tomorrow. Maybe word will get out that you can't break into our country and do whatever the hell you want without consequences, at least in Texas anyway.

I_Hate_This_Place

@karateka:

Re. "...That hair could be laying [sic] around there since god knows when..."

Considering he has a record (remember the other trials mentioned?), and that health code regulations require the company to sweep the floor every day, I highly doubt it.

Obviously this is not conclusive proof in itself, but I fully expect this case to be borne out to the result of Rivera being convicted. For example: if he still has any of the stolen property, that would be better evidence, and it's pretty unlikely that he threw away or sold all those games and consoles. No doubt the store had recorded the serial numbers of the missing units. That would amount to nothing short of being caught red-handed.

(Of course, if he knows what's good for him, if he is guilty, he'll plead guilty in the hopes of getting prison over Ol' Sparky.)

fennecfanatic

@JibbyJam: Plus you get 10% more reward money with an Edge card!

ZombieRace

damn, she was kinda pretty too. damn shame. glad he was caught.

ruba-dub-dub

You know what...the story about a guy saying that the suspect came to him about committing a crime can be...I don't know...wishy washy. How do we know it's even true. Also an evident of a black hair found near the body? That hair could be laying around there since god knows when. I mean he was an ex EB game employee, his hair might be laying around in other places. If the crime took place at her house and his hair was there, then that would be a real evident. Now I'm not defending him or anything, but you have to look at the evidence here. It doesn't look like it can be used to convict someone, if it does, then that in itself is a crime. Finger print on the bag or victim would be beleivable. This is not going to stand in court.

karateka

I am just glad that Texas has started up the death penalty again.

CapnSpank

@www.ogmaster.com:

As opposed to the Starbucks that never has people there?

O.o

Rondogg

@chip5541: That's why extradition treaties exist.

zoesch

She entered the store only to be found dead?....that confused me, but I finally got it.

karateka

Since I'm in San Antonio, this whole story freaked me out. I used to go to that store quite a bit and it's right next to a freakin Starbucks that always has people there. Well it's a good thing they got him.

www.ogmaster.com

@DigiMish:

I wonder if he was a Mexican national?

chip5541

Haha, they caught him in Mexico.

DigiMish

@Deaf Mute: Maybe it takes a week or two on Law and Order, but in real life these things usually take a while. People go off the grid, other cases come up, lots of things slow the process down.

Dauragon C. Mikado

yeah i remember when this happend down here in SA. glad they caught him.

otimus02

@kaish: I am not your buddy, friend.

Quicksilver4648

First of all, he wasn't an illegal immigrant, he was working in EB Games and i dont think a game store is the place to hire illegal aliens, so dont start with the hate, second, $95,000 from EB Games, thats like $120,000 on an edge card, sweet!!!!!!!

sorry, had to do it

Genok

@PCapologist:
"Mexico will not agree to extradite unless we give them our word we won't kill him."

One thing I love about the US is that if you as an American citizen commit a crime somewhere else, US government says you're fucked. As they should. Nobody cried or lifted a finger for that retard who vandalized all those cars in Singapore when he got the cane, and no one should have. I really wish other countries were as understanding of the "you break a law in our country, you pay by our standards" practice. None of this "we'll give you the criminal as long as you don't do this..." rules.

I_Hate_This_Place

beat that guy over the head with a 360, ps3, and wiimote, then tie his balls to a apple 2c and drop it off a cliff, then fry his ass

Scrapple

@fennecfanatic: Moreover, the citizenship status that is material would be that which was in effect when the murder took place. If he committed the murder as an American citizen, naturalized alien, or noncitizen permanent resident, Mexico has no say in the matter.

fennecfanatic

@PCapologist: re. the death penalty... Are you sure about that? Mexico is perhaps the only place quicker to apply the death penalty than Texas. I highly doubt they'd be concerned.

fennecfanatic

@fennecfanatic: To clarify, his possession of the stolen property would only necessarily net him for the theft, if he claimed he had not acted alone and that someone else had committed the murder, but even if he made this claim and pointed a finger at the "real" murderer, he could still be convicted for conspiracy to commit murder, or aiding and abetting a murderer, both of which carry large sentences.

On the other hand, if his fingerprints were to be found on the bag, as karateka mentioned, that would be pretty much conclusive proof.

That said, real life isn't CSI. You might be surprised how many people get convicted (in my view inequitably) on less-than-conclusive evidence. You might also be surprised at how many people get acquitted in the face of overwhelming evidence.

fennecfanatic

@karateka: That's why investigators comb through the evidence and build a case based on that. I'm sure after he's convicted you can go peruse all of the public case documents and see if they're up to your standards of investigative due diligence. As is usually the case, the public doesn't have nearly all the information, and to base doubts on that is irresponsible. Also, unfortunately if he IS a mexican national, that takes the death penalty off the table. Mexico will not agree to extradite unless we give them our word we won't kill him.

PCapologist

Imgaine all the games he can buy with that reward!!

...Too soon?

PC+Mac Coexist

I am glad they caught this guy. Believe it or not, I worked with her for about a month before she moved to her own store. It was a sad story, but the hardest part was watching the parents and the guys who had worked with her for 2 years or so. You get used to seeing those people everyday.

While I know it won't bring her back; I hope it just helps bring the parents at least a little bit of the peace of mind they deserve.

8-Bit_Jay

@Genok: It's called fake social security numbers, happens all the time. Just because it's EB doesn't mean they have an automatic "fake paperwork" detection system. And most people were just curious about his citizenship, while you were arrogant enough to assume his imigration status on anectdotal evidence at best. Good job!

I_Hate_This_Place

@Quicksilver4648:

AYE! He's not your friend, guy!

LanciePants

did he even rob the place? or just snuff her out and leave?

i hope he's guilty. then he'll be the one with the bag over his head while he's getting A-Raped by a gang of large men.

enjoy your au-naturel milk-duds, douchebag.

kevinl

@kaish:

Nor will he be able to avoid teh butt sexx in prison.

LanciePants

@Scrapple: Real classy there

Shouldn't we really leave passing judgement to the people who have the evidence and actually know what they're talking about?

Dragonzigg

I don't have any experience with the US or Mexican penal system, but I'm willing to bet you'd be better off in the US. I, personally, hope he is deported back to Mexico to serve a life sentence.

I can't imagine what it would be like trying to work or shop at a store where I knew this happened. It's scary and awkward. Especially, at a game store. You tend to make friends with everyone there. I mean it's gaming. It's all about fun, but then this happens.

linkabi9

Here's the guy's page on the most wanted list...

[www.usmarshals.gov]

______________________

@I_Hate_This_Place: His wanted poster says he's Texas born.

[www.usmarshals.gov]

dv8godd

@Deaf Mute: A number of things- DNA testing is pretty backed up at most federal/state crime labs, the dude ran off to Mexico, real-life isn't like CSI....

I'm glad they caught the jerk, and nthing the good on EB Games for putting up a reward.

ionerox

Take an innocent woman's life for some freaking video games and a couple of bucks...I hope he gets what he deserves.

DannKnee

I'm surprise he didn't run for the border. He had over a year to do so.

lc204

@excel_excel: sorry damn need to edit! my sympathys go out to whose affected.

excel_excel

@LanciePants: I'm not your guy, buddy!

Atheist Jew

Thats terrible, my sympathys go out to his affected.

But jesus why is that every time something like this happenes people have to constantly post unfunny jokes about punishment things like this Scrapple its so fucking immature, grow up

excel_excel

@tooji: Your almost as bad as that killer for even suggesting this being funny.

lv1shinobi

I'm actually from San Antonio TX and I used to shop at that EB games. They shut the place down immediately after the murder. This girl Amber was somewhat cold and serious, yet intelligent and knowledgeable. A true gamer herself unlike many EB employees. Only talked to her a handful of times though.

I was shocked when I heard this to say the least. And for such a stupid, insignificant, horrible reason. Some people deserve something worse than death.

lv1shinobi

@dv8godd: Appreciate the heads up. That means there will be no trouble in getting him back here.

I_Hate_This_Place

As a GS manager, this brings good news to me. My thoughts are still with her family, since he's right, they do have to live with this for a long, long time.

I'm glad that this guy was caught, as well as the other guy from later in 07 that killed the other GS manager with duct-tape and suffocation. Hopefully, the right verdicts come through.

TheJinManCan

Honestly, stories like this make me want to stand behind the death penalty. What was the point in killing that poor girl? If he wanted to rob them, couldn't he have just subdued her or knocked her out?

I hope they execute him. Why should taxpayers have to pay his rent in jail for the rest of meaningless life? Its not like he's sorry for what he did.

TheGuilty1

@ƒox:
I didn't even think of the drugs! He would be lower than whatever is lower than trash then.

NiGHTSSTUDiO

As a long-time resident of Texas I can honestly say that I am certainly not proud of the attitude of the state and members of its legal system. Texas leads the country in executions, but it also leads the country in persons EXONERATED by DNA testing, something that the state has fought against long and hard. The arrogance and stubborness of this state's leaders, from the governor down, is annoying, particularly when innocent people are sent to prison or placed on death row. There is no doubt in anyone's mind, based upon how many convictions have been recently overturned, that this state has executed innocent people. That is not guaranteed by the Constitution.

I only hope that he is given a very fair and impartial trial, where only real evidence is used against him. We have had Michael Blair on death row for the murder of Ashley Estele for years, but literally all of the "evidence" against him has been proven false by real DNA testing instead of the opinions of "experts", one of whom identified the synthetic hair of a stuffed teddy bear to be "similar to Ashley's!"

The death penalty should only be carried out at a national level, not at the state level, and only after all evidence has been exhaustedly tested for credibility. As a nation, we should consider the death penalty and executions as our most somber and solemn duty, and reserved only for the most guilty. If he is found guilty beyond any reasonable doubt then the death penalty should be on the table.

But Texas also has to realize that there is more to the world than just the state. This country should be doing all it can to repair the damage done by this administration's macho, cowboy-justice approach to the rest of the world. In the Medellin case, listening to the world court's opinion, and carefully considering it, might have helped ease some of the problems caused by the last eight years of arrogance, ignorance, incompetence, and saber-rattling that has made this world a much more dangerous place for all of us. Even the administration pleaded with Texas to stay Medellin's execution in the overall interest of how the rest of the world would perceive whether the US was going to try to be a member of the world community again, rather than acting alone and in some instances, against it own better interests. If we put someone to death, it should be by National consensus and at a Federal prison, not a State one.

As far as all of the comments about "Ol Sparky" or "the chair", do your homework. Texas only uses lethal injection.

bornonce

I'm all for punishing the guy if he's guilty, and most likely he is, we don't go into another country for someone if we aren't damn sure that he was the guy who did it. But some of you have the lovely contradicting same old tiresome comments whenever someone is killed. You don't know? Here let me point it out for you.

generic example:
"She was pretty too!! MAN WHAT A SICKO!! That makes me mad!! You know what we should do, we should [do some extremely expletive highly cruel punishment, use your imagination]!!!"

Does anyone not see any of the irony? Some of these people who say sicko then suggest doing something like what the guilty man did himself. I mean geez grow up. And whenever it's a woman who got killed it was "Oh and she was pretty!" stupid comments. It's irrelevant now, and even then it should not change your feeling toward the crime. I'd rant more but it's pointless most of you will overlook and continue on. As for the actual thing, IF this man is guilty of the crime, then I hope he is rightfully judged by the law and serves the time that he deserves.

Covert_Knight

@Super_Koopa

"I'm getting tired of these tragic stories in my Kotaku."

I'm sure the woman who died would say the same thing, if she COULD. I'm sure being murdered by some asshole, was on the top of her "TO-DO List"

Tragedies in life happen, get use to it. You may night like it, I don't either, but you can't just stick you head in the sand when something ugly happens, and you don't want to hear it. It's video game related -- so the story goes it, period.

jamBot

Well good. They should kill him the same way he killed her.

VixDiesel

@bornonce: I'm glad Texas doesn't dole out local justice based on what the "world court" or any other court for that matter wants. Guess what, people have hated America for years, and a stay of executions isn't going to change any minds. Most people hate just to hate. I also do not feel justice should be overruled by world opinion. The guy died for his crimes, as he was sentenced to do. Any other scenario playing out would have been a travesty to justice. Especially in the name of "opinions". I'm also hugely for state rights, as the Federal government can barely manage itself, much less 50 other smaller, localized entities of government.

I_Hate_This_Place

so he killed someone just to rob a store? i cant imagine there was that much in there.

shame really.

pandafresh

I don't mind execution for murder. The guy deserves to hang. But unfortunately our court system is so fucked up that I can't support the death penalty at this time.

This guy deserves to fry. But double life sentences will be fine in my opinion.

FrigidAir44

I'm relatively curious about how the U.S. Marshall's service goes about arresting somebody IN mexico. I mean, extradition treaties are one thing. Carrying out the arrest yourself on foreign soil?

That being said, I'm personally against the death penalty. IMO that's letting 'em off easy. God can wait. We get him first. Those who would otherwise be executed would much more useful for testing purposes. Cosmetics, drugs, etc. That would also (help?) pay for their continued existence.

GnatB

@Gutter_Trash: that's why they're criminals.

cantbeatmegaman

why do robbers have to murder?
why can't robbers just rob and not harm to manger/employees?

criminals like this are really dumb and heartless

Gutter_Trash

@Purple Flames:
The chair is civil compared to what this guy deserves. I say we go back to public hangings. If you some rapist stung up dead for five days in the middle of town, wouldn't you think twice before screwing around?

Lazlo

@warxsnake: Because it is so easy to get away with it these days. The cops do shoddy work most of the time, and anyone with a quality attorney can get away with murder in this country.

For the last 25 years, repeated independent studies have proven that over 30% of all people serving time, are innocent of the crimes they are serving time for; the absolute worst track record of any nation in the industrialized world (even some developing nations have better track records). So if the system is so botched up that 1/3 of everyone locked behind bars is innocent, where are all the guilty parties who committed the crimes? Out on the streets is where; having gotten away scott free and floated under the radar.

Take this case for example. They say they have DNA evidence on Rivera, because they found of strand of hair near Amber Belken, the victim. But if Rivera as they stated was an employee of the company at the time, his DNA would and should have been all over the store and the crime scene. This is classic botching of the case by shoddy police work. Any half decent lawyer is going to argue the point that Rivera's DNA at the scene is circumstantial and does not constitute he committed the crime. A good lawyer can even argue this directly to the judge in a closed session and have the DNA evidence barred from every appearing before a jury. This is classic stuff that good lawyers love to come across.

Fact of the matter is, the way our criminal justice system works, is that the poor, lower class and under privileged, hardly ever get justice - which is why one in three people incarcerated in our prisons is completely innocent. Meanwhile, the rich and powerful can hire good lawyers to get them off on murder . . . just ask Robert Blake or O.J. Simpson. Good attorneys are going to constantly remind the jury that the law and their duties as jurors explicitly stipulates, "innocent until proven guilty." A good lawyer is going to constantly remind the jury that it is the onus of the prosecution to prove a case of guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt, and then proceed to take the shoddy, half-assed work of the police and punch holes all through it, so the jury has no choice but to acquit because the evidence gathered by the police, is usually never enough to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt, once it is put under any scrutiny.

Shitty public defenders never to do the like. They make their living on a points system; which the swap and trade amoung each other like Pokemon cards. They, like most judges automatically assume you are guilty just because you are there, and will tell inform even innocent defendants to cop a plea (usually "no contest", which is about the same as saying you are guilty).

In the case of Rivera, he is likely to get the shitty, douche bag public defender. However, if he goes to jail for life, or even get's the lethal injection (Texas is the biggest capital punishment state), it will have nothing to do with the competence of the system; it could have been anybody in Rivera's place, and there is a one in three chance they would have wound up in jail or on death row all the same. Not saying the guy is innocent or guilty, just saying the way the system has broken down, they too will have a hard time getting that truth to light; and if they do so, it will be based almost solely on circumstantial evidence that if Rivera had a high priced lawyer on his side, would get off against.

The whole system is broken top to bottom, so we see people get away with crime, even vicious crimes like murder all the time. And just as often, we see the innocent jailed. With a system so busted, can there be little wonder why people in this day and age feel they can play the odds and get away with even the most heinous crimes?

We live in a society where the criminal justice system broke down a long time ago, yet we have candidates (even as you read this) running for offices like governors and senators and the Presidency, who will waste more time and tax payer dollars trying to foist the blame of America's ills on "violent" videogames, and never once say even the slightest word about how busted our criminal justice system has become, or how much of an overhaul it needs so that only the guilty get punished, and the innocent remain free, thus sending a clear message to one and all that if you do the crime, you will do the time. Of course to do that, requires real work and real sacrifice by those who are in office; and why should they actually have to do their jobs, when they can waste millions of taxpayer dollars every year trying to foist the blame somewhere else?

But so long as the system remains as-is, and the people and the politicians continue to turn a blind or ignorant eye to the problem, then there are always going to be plenty of people who think they can get away with stuff like this. You asked the question how some people can do sick shit like this. Well when you live in a world where no one is any longer held accountable for their actions, what else would you honestly expect?

InvaderPhlegm

sigh what a shame. why cant people just get along? so she probably turned the dude down on a date or something and he got all psycho. thats no reason to kill

maraxusofk

why this is on kotaku?

GimmeCat

@Lazlo: If I was a rapist and I saw another rapist strung up dead for five days, I would be sure to silence my victim permanently. My life or theirs? In a matter of survival I would choose my own. We claim to be an advanced, humane, sophisticated society but still resort to methods used by the most brutal of barbarians 3000 years ago.

And, you obviously didn't read some of the other comments before you posted. They don't give anybody "the chair" in Texas. Executions are by lethal injection only.

This is posted in Kotaku because it happened at an EB games store. Had it happened at a TJ-Max, or a 7-11, or self-serv gas station, it wouldn't have been mentioned. Since it did happen at an EB-Games, and some of the commenters even personally knew the victim, or have frequented the store, it is at least slightly related to the world of Kotaku. It was the callous response of some of the commenters that led to a few of the more thoughtful posts. Since the discussions are being shared among gamers, it has some relevance to the mission of Kotaku. JMHO

bornonce

I wonder if its odd that I have no "righteous" anger.

I could say I'm glad to see the man burn, but I don't know that he's guilty and what would that accomplish anyways?

somesthetic

@I_Hate_This_Place: wow, you sound like a lawyer or something, but i have to much experience with illegal aliens, so i can bet you anything that the guy was american, and its not arrogance, its knowledge.......so there you go =D

Genok

@InvaderPhlegm: Well he hasnt gone to trial yet. The evidence still has stand up in front of a grand jury, so if its as shoddy as you say then your boy can walk.

Really if they do find him guilty i actually hope they toast him. Im not a big death penalty fan but sometimes people just deserve it. I think a couple of my fellow texans pointed out an illegal immigrant was just given the death penalty even though the mexican government protested. I dont know if anyone pointed out that he was part of a group that raped and beat to death a 14 year old girl and bragged about it. Thats the type of monster that deserves lethal injection.

snakepliskin

Texas = Death Penalty

Bye bye, asshole!

(Don't get me wrong, I tend to be against the death penalty because too many mistakes get made...but then I see this...

and I want him dead.)

Anyway, see you in Hell, Mr. Rivera! Mexico can't save you now!

LOL

elpierce

Still very sad.

What's up with the Kotaku writers spelling/grammar lately? I stumbled all over the place with the misplaced words the first time I tried to read this post. (gives glaring look)

Shandy706

@I_Hate_This_Place: This discussion is obviously out of the normal scope of Kotaku, but I will respond. First, I was certainly not defending Jose Melledin. However, it is the U.S., and not 1/50th of it, that represents us to the world. Even the Bush administration recognized the potential damage that could be done to U.S. foreign relations if this execution was allowed to take place without appearing to be given due consideration of International Law (which the administration violated when they evaded Iraq to force a regime change, an impeachable offense). It was a mere technicality, but that technicality is clearly spelled out in an International agreement that the U.S. signed. Melledin would have gotten a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Executing him even to the protests of our own government shows how out-of-touch with the rest of the world Texas is, has been, and apparently, always will be. Even George W. Bush, who is a big supporter of the death penalty and was one of the most prolific executing governors in modern time, felt that it was not in the best interest of the U.S., then you know that there might be some deep and underlying concerns which many of you are obviously oblivious to. If you are a big supporter of "state's rights", then you don't seem to have much knowledge of history. The South in the Civil War was all about state independence, so even their railroad lines couldn't join together because they had no central standard. There is a role for each level of government, at the city, county (or parish), state, and country. Taking someone's life doesn't seem to be something that a state should be allowed to do, anymore than regulating interstate commerce or declaring war on a foreign entity.

Texas sentenced a couple to life imprisonment because they processed credit cards for web sites. A couple of the web-sites were deemed 'child pornography" sites, so they suddenly became "child pornographers" even though they did not have personally anything to do with child pornography. Life imprisonment; yet, murderers go free after five years. That is Texas justice for you.

bornonce

R.I.P.

VMars

@GnatB: I think they send in batman...who uses the skyhook and yank him out without even a trace.

karateka

Geovany Rivera, Geraldo's lesser known, much lesser law-abiding little brother.

orangesrhyme

@chip5541: I actually hope they take longer, maybe suffocate him with a plastic bag too. Seems fair to me. ;)

Radz

This dude was an ex employee who was friends with her! Im glad they caught this guy.

Real_fn_Show

@I_Hate_This_Place:
So, we should extradite a woman accused of adultery to Saudi Arabia so that she can be stoned to death ? Because, hell, she knew the rules...

It isn't black and white. Most of the world has abandoned the death penalty as a punishment. The US stands with China, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and all those other paragons of civil rights in continuing this form of "punishment".

I'm happy to see those convicted of the worst crimes locked in an 8x4 cell at night and made to break rocks during the day until they reach the end of their natural lives, but the death penalty just serves to diminish civil society.

Gidim

"with one witness having told the police that the suspect approached him on the morning before the crime suggesting they rob the store."

How can they be a witness to a crime that had no witnesses?

Chanthas

man i met her once a long time ago at that store. Good thing they caught that guy. I hear her parents are gonna sue gamestop now because she repeatedly told the managment that they needed security cameras, and they denied her request. Wonder wahts gonna happen now

Mobius4077

Wow I didn't expect a story from my hometown to pop up here.

conex

a plastic bag? Seriously? I didn't know people actually did that. Jesus Christ, what is wrong with people? Thats easily the most horrifying thing I've heard in a long time.

benu302000

@NiGHTSSTUDiO: Not to mention that fleeing to Mexico would've actually worked if he hadn't killed her. Federal Marshalls don't chase you down in other countries for $1500 + consoles and games.

TheMoof

It was pretty weird when i found out about that. I went to that EB Games to buy my Wii when it first came out and she was the lady i bought it from. Glad they got that dude.

redsoxblg

Me too, glad to hear they finally caught him, I remember seeing her parents on the news a week or two ago because EB Games apparently ignored her requests for surveillance cameras that she made prior to the murder. You would think in-store surveillance would be mandatory considering how much stock all those stores have

B-ryon

@Super_Koopa: "I'm getting tired of these tragic stories in my Kotaku." When did you buy kotaku? It's not just yours, its everybody and there are people who want to hear these stories. This woman worked for a EB games, hence why it's on kotaku. If all you want to do is read stories about games and nothing else, go read Joystiq. Kotaku reports on video games and the community.

KerwinPelopia

Wow, this happen in my hometown! and i just got back from Laredo this morning!

hecsan008

@Gidim:

The death penalty is not meant to be a deterrent... it is a PUNISHMENT... and if you kill anoother human being unjustifiably, then it fits the friggin' crime!!!

Enigma_20XX

"Homicide detectives applied for a warrant to do DNA test on Rivera this past January after a short black hair had been found near the body."

Hot damn!!! They busted his ass, Forensics Files style!!

Enigma_20XX

@Enigma_20XX: Did I say anything about deterrent ? Frankly I'd rather punish him for the rest of his natural life.

Gidim

This is why we can't have nice things. Like a hot EB employee for a change

JustOneFix

@Gidim:

And I'd prefer that he didn't get to LIVE OUT the rest of his natural life....

Enigma_20XX

@bornonce:
I guess I don't see your point. I know that Texas only uses lethal injection, I however live in Nebraska, the only state where the chair is still used (although state legislature is trying to overturn that). I only said "the chair is civil..." because it strikes an immediate response to the reader - much more than the term "give 'em the needle". I also never questioned why this article fell on a Kotaku post. Obviously it's game-related. I never even came close to claiming that it did not belong here.
Also, you're a dick for even alluding to the fact that you would "silence" you rape victim to save your own ass. Of course you would, I know about the moral fabric of society. You back anyone into a small enough corner they will fight back with power they never knew they had. So to even joke about raping someone, and then silencing them, just to prove a point is sick.

Lazlo