Nearly two years after the shooting death of her son, Xavier Garriga's mother sobbed uncontrollably Friday as a Lancaster County jury returned a first-degree murder conviction against his killer.
The verdict carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for 25-year-old Matthew Morales, who was convicted after a weeklong trial in Lancaster County Court.
Afterward, Morales' father said he had "no words." But the family has previously struggled to make sense of his involvement in Garriga's death, saying they never knew Morales to have a temper or be violent.
Through a victim coordinator with the court, Garriga's family similarly declined comment.
Morales was charged with killing Garriga after a June 2014 dispute outside a Lancaster Turkey Hill, an incident described as random by police, as well as fueled by drugs and alcohol.
In closing arguments Friday, Morales' defense challenged the state's evidence against him, including the testimony of a star witness who they said traded his cooperation in this case for leniency in another against him, a claim dismissed by prosecutors.
Defense attorney Ed Pfursich told jurors the witness, Luis Fuentes III, was "a person who had every reason in the world to lie to you, and that's exactly what he did."
"This is a tragedy but justice is not done by convicting an innocent man," he added.
In addressing jurors before deliberations, Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman rejected depictions of Morales as innocent, or a non-violent family man, saying Morales was observed on video, and by a gas station clerk, acting aggressively toward Garriga before the shooting. Morales has said he was simply trying to defuse the situation.
"He did this," Fetterman said to jurors. "It was senseless but he did it. He was angry and took out a gun and cut this man down ... Pause and think about the evidence but don't hesitate."
He added, "just because this is senseless doesn't mean it didn't happen. We live in a world where senseless homicides happen and this is one of those times."
Morales' sentencing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday.