Overview
- A jury on Oct. 16, 2025 found Jose Rafael Andrade-Membreno, 29, and Edwin Diaz, 25, guilty in the 2018 killing of Marcos Morales.
- The defendants were convicted of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of lying in wait, conspiracy to commit murder, and a deadly-weapon enhancement.
- Sentencing is set for Jan. 23, 2026, when both men face a potential life-without-parole term.
- Prosecutors said the pair used machete-style knives to ambush Morales at an apartment hot tub, shouted allegiance to MS-13, and left him nearly decapitated while Morales’ girlfriend was also stabbed.
- Investigators cited Morales’ blood on clothing and a later arrest of Diaz at a laundromat, and they noted initial neighbor reluctance before witnesses testified the attackers laughed while fleeing; co-defendant Xiomara Berrios agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for testifying.