His mom would have forgiven her killer. For her son, the jury verdict was justice
When Anthony Ross heard the good news Thursday, all he wanted to do was call his mom.
Her killer had been convicted.
Bonnie D. Ross still lived on her own in a small, tidy house just west of the cable bridge in Pasco. The spirited 82-year-old grandmother was found beaten, stabbed and strangled to death a year ago — the victim of an apparent robbery or burglary.
It took a Franklin County jury just over four hours this week to convict Hector Orozco Jr. of killing both Ross and a homeless man, his friend Demetrius A. Graves.
Anthony Ross, who lives in Tacoma, said the guilty verdicts brought some relief for their loved ones, whose energy and emotions were depleted after the more than two-week trial.
“My mom is the type of person that would have forgave him,” he said. “But myself and my wife and the rest of my family and (her) neighbors and extended family and friends, we wanted to see justice and wanted to see it through.”
‘Know that you are loved’
Bonnie Ross was killed last Valentine’s Day inside that West Washington Street home, probably just minutes after she left an 8:55 a.m. message for her son saying she was thinking about him and wishing him a “happy hearts day.”
The brief voicemail ends with Ross saying, “Always know that you are loved.”
“That’s the last thing that she said to me was that voice message, and I’ve saved that on my phone ever since,” Anthony Ross told the Tri-City Herald. “I’ve also recorded it on another device just so I have backup.”
The 52-year-old testified in Orozco’s trial about his mother’s phone call log and bank records. He said he knew that final message was going to be played for the jury, yet it still was heartbreaking to hear.
But he believes it was a “big win” if the message and records helped jurors decide Orozco’s guilt.
Nineteen minutes after Bonnie Ross called her son, her phone was used to call Orozco’s mother.
Prosecutor Shawn Sant said Ross likely was dead when Orozco made that 9:14 a.m. call.
Orozco was arrested after 1 p.m. that day at the Rodeway Inn in Pasco. He was driving Bonnie Ross’ Toyota Corolla.
Family left with questions
Anthony Ross said he agrees with the defense attorneys that there are unanswered questions, but he said that’s because Orozco won’t say a word.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know how (Orozco) ended up there at her place, but with all the evidence that was presented it was very obvious he was there in her household,” said Anthony Ross.
He wonders if maybe Orozco was walking by and his mom was out by her car, and Orozco asked to use her phone or something and, of course, she obliged.
“We’re very pleased with the verdict, and I’m thankful to each and every juror for their time and their civic service. I know it couldn’t have been easy on them either,” said Anthony Ross.
“It’s been a long time coming, it’s been almost a year now, and I’m just glad the jury saw through the defense teams comments and other things that were questionable.”
The jury, made up of four men and eight women, got the case at lunchtime Wednesday. The group resumed deliberations Thursday, reaching the verdicts just after 10 a.m.
Orozco, 43, did not take the stand in his trial.
Defense already plans appeal
He was convicted of six of seven charges for the crime spree spread over nearly 12 hours.
The guilty verdicts were: first-degree murder for Ross; second-degree murder for Graves; unlawful imprisonment and fourth-degree assault for Anthony Nugent; fourth-degree assault for Mary Gibson; and driving with a suspended or revoked license.
Orozco was acquitted of the attempted first-degree murder of Shegow Gagow, who testified about the Feb. 14 attack on Graves, 39, near downtown Pasco.
Gagow said he was hit on the head by Orozco. Then, as Gagow tried to get away, he tripped and Orozco fell on top of him.
However, defense attorneys questioned if he really was badly beaten since police had no reports or photographs of Gagow’s injuries.
Lawyer Daniel Stovern told the Herald that the defense anticipates filing an appeal.
Orozco has more than 30 misdemeanor convictions, and a handful of felony priors for assault, residential burglary and attempting to elude police.
That criminal history has bumped up his standard sentencing range so he’s facing 44 1/2 years to 64 years in prison.
Sentencing is tentatively set for Feb. 12 before Judge Bruce Spanner.
Victim used to be beautician, caregiver
Anthony Ross said he nearly exhausted his vacation days with the trial, but he definitely will be at the sentencing to speak for his mom.
Bonnie Ross was a Christian who loved the Lord. She was generous, helping people any way she could, and she enjoyed entertaining visitors, said her son.
“If you came over to visit, she would definitely feed you and made sure you were full when you left,” he said.
Bonnie Ross would take water and cans of food to the Tri-City Union Gospel Mission. She also liked to browse yard, garage and estate sales and farmers markets.
She was very organized, and made sure to keep her home neat, both inside and out. “I think that’s what kind of kept her healthy too,” her son said.
In her younger years, Bonnie Ross was a beautician. When she got older, she did hair for shut-ins and people living in nursing homes, he said.
Bonnie Ross also had been a caregiver for a friend of the family, a paraplegic man, for several years as her son was growing up.
Lydia Ross added that her late mother-in-law had a sense of humor, liked to make people laugh by saying silly things and was very sociable, even with strangers.
“She’ll definitely be missed,” said Lydia and Anthony Ross.
In a Facebook post Thursday afternoon, Pasco police said the guilty verdicts meant “Justice for Bonnie Ross and Demetrius Graves.”
“We take no joy in these events, but Pasco PD would like to thank the jury for a tough job done well,” the post said.
Prosecutor Sant described it as an “all-hands-on-deck kind of case,” and joined in thanking all involved with the case.
This story was originally published January 31, 2019 at 11:43 AM.