A sense of relief for many as "Flaco" is found guilty

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A sense of relief for many as "Flaco" is found guilty

Story Created: Mar 20, 2008 at 8:22 AM EST

Story Updated: Mar 22, 2008 at 9:17 AM EST

UTICA - After 16 long hours of deliberations over two days, the 12-person jury late Thursday night uttered the one word that Utica police officers waited nearly a year to hear: guilty. Wesley Molina-Cirino, also known as "Flaco," was found guilty of the April 12th, 2007 murder of Utica Police Officer Thomas Lindsey.

The jury returned the verdict after 2 days of deliberation that weighed heavily on Officer Lindsey's family, fellow officers, and on the family of the defendant, Wesley Molina Cirino. The trial itself lasted 10 days in Oneida County Court, with witnesses ranging from DNA experts and police officers, to inmates who Cirino spent time with in jail.

At 2:06 pm Thursday, the jury told the judge they were deadlocked; that, "x-amount of us believe he is guilty and x-amount of us don't believe that he's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." The judge gave them what's known as an Allen Charge. He told them it's common for juries to feel they'll never reach a unanimous verdict and asked them to go back and deliberate some more, but not to violate their own consciences.

There were more requests and deliberations continued through dinner. Then, just after 10pm, the courtroom filled with lawyers and police officers as word got out: the jury had reached a verdict.

The judge warned: no public outbursts when the verdict is read. But when the jury foreperson said the word, "guilty", Utica police officers, some of whom were standing on benches in the back of the courtroom, pumped their fists in the air, cried and hugged each other.

A line formed as many thanked prosecutor Laurie Lisi, who's worked on nothing else since July. Michael Coluzza and Stacey Scotti assisted her in this case.

Defense Attorney Rebecca Wittman, who also put in countless hours defending her client, was unavailable for comment following the verdict. She did not answer her cell phone. Defendant Wesley Molina Cirino's mother, who held a Bible and often prayed quietly in the back of the courtroom, collapsed in the courtroom lobby upon learning her son would spend the rest of his life in jail. An ambulance was called to the courthouse.

A state police investigator who worked as a translator during hours of suspect questioning in the case said, "now I can finally go to Tommy's grave." In fact, several of his fellow officers and friends did just that. Following the guilty verdict, in freezing cold temperatures and high winds, a line of police cars drove into the cemetery on Oneida Street in Utica. The officers wanted to tell Officer Tom Lindsey that it was over; that his killer was brought to justice.

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