Forensic pathologist describes victims’ gunshot wounds in Benton County triple homicide trial

A forensic pathologist told jurors Friday how three people were killed in the middle of a rural Benton County cornfield in August 2014.

Dr. Daniel Selove took the witness stand in the trial of Francisco J. Resendez Miranda to describe the fatal gunshot wounds he found in the Pasco trio.

David Perez-Saucedo was shot twice in the head at close range; Abigail Torres-Renteria had a bullet go through her jaw and neck area; and Victoria Torres, who tried to escape her attackers, was shot in her back in the shoulder area, Selove said.

Torres, whose body was found a few rows of corn away from her friends, also was strangled. Her Rosary beads left an impression in her neck.

The Everett doctor’s testimony included one graphic photo that showed the body of Torres-Renteria’s near-term baby still inside the womb during the autopsy.

The defense had objected to the picture being shown to jurors, but Judge Bruce Spanner allowed it after listening to arguments from both sides.

Resendez Miranda, 24, of Umatilla is charged in Benton County Superior Court with three counts of aggravated first-degree murder.

Prosecutors have included aggravating circumstances that Torres-Renteria was almost nine months pregnant and that the crime involved several victims.

In Washington state, a murder charge cannot be filed for an unborn baby.

Resendez Miranda’s trial started Monday and could last into Thanksgiving week. He will spend the rest of his life in prison if he is convicted of just one count of aggravated murder.

Perez-Saucedo, 22, Torres-Renteria, 23, and Torres, 19, reportedly drove to Umatilla late Aug. 8, 2014. They were joined by Marco Garcia, also of Pasco.

Hours later, a worker checking the irrigation circles on Easterday Farms in southeastern Benton County found Perez-Saucedo’s SUV and their bodies.

Resendez Miranda worked for the farm in October 2013 during the potato harvest.

Investigators have been looking for Resendez Miranda’s father and two brothers for questioning.

Fidel Miranda-Huitron, 51, Eduardo Miranda-Resendiz, 24, and Fernando de Jesus Miranda-Resendiz, 19, are believed to have left the country for Mexico shortly after the fatal shootings.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Forensic pathologist describes victims’ gunshot wounds in Benton County triple homicide trial."