Pasco murder trial delayed until January

The trial for a 31-year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his son's mother has been delayed more than five months.

Gregorio Luna Luna agreed Tuesday to push the Franklin County Superior Court trial out to Jan. 24.

He had been set to face a jury Aug. 4 on one count of first-degree murder.

Griselda Ocampo Meza, 21, died May 24 in her Pasco apartment from a single stab wound in the chest.

The couple had been in a seven-year relationship when Ocampo Meza reportedly ended it earlier this year. They had a 5-year-old son together.

Ocampo Meza received a protection order in early March against Luna after telling the court that he had threatened to kill her or make her life miserable.

She said in court documents that she feared he would follow through on the threats because he had tried two times before.

Luna had been deported to his native Mexico on May 1, but returned to Pasco shortly before the slaying. He allegedly stole a car from a Snohomish friend May 23, drove to the Tri-Cities and confronted Ocampo Meza that night at a Kennewick restaurant.

Prosecutors allege that hours later, Luna took a key from Ocampo Meza's roommates as they left for work, broke into her apartment and confronted her. Her son was rushed out of the home by her new boyfriend while Ocampo Meza fought with Luna.

She died before she could get to a hospital.

Luna tried to find his son at a nearby apartment and fought the new boyfriend before running off, documents said. He was arrested later May 24 at a vacant east Pasco home.

Defense attorneys Karla Kane and Shawn Sant requested Tuesday a trial date in March, but Judge Robert Swisher said "that's just too far out."

Kane and Sant said March 16 is a realistic date, given the number of witnesses and evidence they have to deal with in the ongoing investigation. They also pointed out that they are trying to work around their schedules for other Franklin and Benton court cases.

Prosecutor Steve Lowe argued that Luna's case is not that complicated of a case to warrant a lengthy delay.

Lowe asked to go to trial this year, saying the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab should complete tests on evidence by September. He added that it is an eyewitness case with eight key people.

But Sant said so far the defense has identified 16 other witnesses, some of whom live outside the Mid-Columbia and "are not so easily available." He wouldn't go into details of those witnesses so as not to reveal the defense's strategy.

Swisher said he preferred a trial in November or December, but told the lawyers to be ready for trial by January.

"I have a serious concern about extending it into March," he said. "Witnesses come and go and are hard to corral."

Also Tuesday, Luna had to put it on the record that he is satisfied with Sant continuing to represent him given the lawyer's potential conflict.

Sant is challenging Lowe in the general election for Franklin County prosecutor. Sant said "in no way will it interfere with his representation" of Luna, but also added that his involvement in the case could change if he is successful at the polls.

-- Kristin M. Kraemer: 582-1531; kkraemer@tricityherald.com