ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Two central Florida brothers have been sentenced to life in prison for a fatal shooting during a 1998 wedding reception.
Jurors took just three hours Wednesday to find 47-year-old Hugo Varela and 46-year-old Jacobo Varela guilty in the shooting of Felipe Rodriguez. The men were attending a wedding party in DeLeon Springs on Sept. 12, 1998.
According to testimony, the three men had been friends, but a feud broke out after the brothers accused Rodriguez of owing them money for the delivery of tires.
It took so long to bring the case to trial because of difficulty in tracking down the Varela brothers.
Prosecutor Ed Davis told jurors the shooting was an “ambush.” The defense contended the brothers were defending themselves.
Source: Associated Press