Death sentence recommended by Stanislaus County jury in triple-murder case

A Stanislaus County jury recommended the death penalty for the first time in nearly two decades, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

Richard Tyrone Garcia, 41, was convicted Tuesday afternoon for ordering Armando Osegueda and Joseph Luis Jauriqui to kill an 18-year-old and everyone she lived with in an east Modesto home. The teen, who was the intended target, was the sole survivor of the order.

In the early hours of March 3, 2012, 16-year-old David Siebels, 19-year-old Alyxandria Tellez and 31-year-old Edward Joseph Reinig were shot and killed in their home. The triple murder resulted in a years-long investigation, with legal proceedings lasting over a decade. Opening statements for Garcia’s trial were heard in June.

Garcia’s case was complex, mainly due to its circumstances and what happened in the years after the murders. Garcia already is serving a life sentence, plus three years, for ordering the murder of a cellmate who was scheduled to testify against him. The hit never was carried out because law enforcement caught wind of it beforehand.

“We’re very pleased with this verdict that we are honored to have served the family and to have provided some justice to them for the loss of their loved ones,” said prosecutor Marlissa Ferreira. And we’re really impressed with this jury that worked really hard... it was a huge endeavor for that jury, and they were outstanding.”

Garcia, Osegueda and Jauriqui originally were to be tried together. But in February 2023, Jauriqui pleaded guilty to his involvement and avoided the death penalty. Osegueda was granted the right to have a separate trial, which is scheduled to begin in 2026.

A Stanislaus County case has not been recommended the death penalty since the case of Huber Mendoza — who killed three people in December 2001. Mendoza was sentenced to death in 2006.

The death penalty still exists in California, but has been under a moratorium since 2019. However, prosecutors still can push for the death penalty. Ferreira said that in the past decade, she’s pushed for the death penalty in seven cases but Garcia’s was the only one to make it to trial.

“A moratorium is just the current governor saying, ‘We’re not going to do this for the next few years while I’m in here,’” said Ferreira, explaining why prosecutors continued to push for the death penalty in Garcia’s case. “I mean, death penalty cases go for 20, 30 years sometimes. The fact that an interim governor might have a particular viewpoint and then raise a moratorium doesn’t change the law.”

Ferreira said there are other reasons a prosecutor will push for death. In Garcia’s case, she said it would be better to have a “condemned inmate” than someone facing life in prison, because it would make the inmate ineligible for release. Another is keeping Garcia out of general population. Ferriera said that would put other inmates at risk, based on his previous attempted murder conviction of his cellmate.

The second most recent death sentence recommendation was Scott Peterson, who murdered his wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner. The family lived in Modesto. The search for Laci captivated the nation when she was reported missing shortly after Christmas in 2002. Peterson was convicted in 2004 and sentenced to death. In 2020, Peterson was resentenced to life in prison.

While the case began in Stanislaus County, Peterson was ultimately tried and sentenced in San Mateo County.

The last person to be executed in California was Clarence Ray Allen in 2006.

A representative of the DA’s Office said a press release about the recommendation will be released sometime this week.