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Surgery on assault victim who died likely to be key issue in case against two accused attackers
- Mark Sabbatini
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Prosecutor says Alfred Willis Torres Sr. died getting treatment necessitated by attack; defense attorney says ‘there's going to be incredible causation questions’ about how he died
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Surgery performed on a man who died after being assaulted in a downtown parking garage is likely to be a key issue in the case, an attorney for one of the two defendants said Thursday.
Alfred Willis Torres Sr., 53, died in a Seattle hospital about four weeks after the April 6 assault, with Devon Rivera, 29, and Chelsea Willis, 37, each facing manslaughter and eight other charges as the alleged attackers. Among the injuries inflicted was a skull fracture that resulted in a doctor trying to correct Torres’ jaw, Juneau District Attorney Whitney Bostick told Superior Court Judge Larry Woolford during a bail hearing for Willis on Thursday.
"That fracture, while the jaw was being manipulated, became much more substantial and severed the basilar artery, Your Honor," Bostick said. "That basilar artery is what resulted in Mr. Torres' death. The fracture that caused that was caused by Miss Willis’ and Mr. Rivera's conduct."
Willis’ attorney, Anna Maria McDonald Ambrose, told Woolford "there's going to be incredible causation questions" by the defense about the autopsy indicating the cause of Torres’ death.
"The surgery itself as well, I think that will be a litigated issue in this case," she said.
Rivera originally faced three felony assault charges, and Willis faced felony tampering with evidence and misdemeanor assault when they were arrested shortly after the attack. But on July 13 the charges against both were revised to include manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and multiple counts of felony assault.
Both defendants, who are in state custody, made initial court appearances on the new charges this week at Juneau’s Dimond Courthouse.
Rivera, on Tuesday, told Judge Marianna Carpeneti he wants to represent himself in the case. A representation hearing is scheduled at 1 p.m. on Aug 25.
Willis will also need a representation hearing due to a conflict of interest issue involving the Alaska Public Defender Agency, Ambrose said during Thursday’s hearing. Willis’ next scheduled court appearance is a readiness hearing at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 9.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
