SANTA CRUZ — The young man accused of killing Madyson Middleton, 8, at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz in 2015, Adrian Jerry Gonzalez, made an appearance in court Tuesday in Santa Cruz for a transfer hearing.
Gonzalez, who was 15 at the time of the murder, lived at the same complex where Maddy lived. He faces murder, kidnapping and several sexual assault charges, with special circumstances of lying in wait.
“Right now my request is to chill things out and secure a more fair trial for my client,” said Larry Biggam, defense attorney. “I just want to secure a more fair hearing.”
District Attorney Jeffrey S. Rosell said, “It is our intention to try Adrian Gonzalez as an adult.”
Madyson was allegedly murdered at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz on July 26, 2015. In court on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Rafael Vasquez outlined the grueling chain of details of how he and investigators believed Maddy was raped, murdered and stuffed into three plastic bags by Gonzalez and ultimately dumped into a recycling bin.
Investigators became suspicious when Gonzalez, who sat stoic and emotionless in court Tuesday, began grilling police and poking into their investigation with probing questions. Police eventually turned the spotlight on Gonzalez and, according to court testimony, he caved in and confessed to the murder.
The prosecution in the case is arguing in court that Gonzalez, now 17, should be tried as an adult, which will have the potential of a life-long sentence.
In court on Tuesday, Biggam outlined how Gonzalez has endured a rough youth, with abuse and poor care.
If found guilty, Gonzalez faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, Rosell said.
“The things that took place in this case are absolutely horrible. We filed appropriate charges,” Rosell said. “It is what public safety demands and it is what our job is and what we are tasked to do and it is what we are going to do. We have always said that this is a strong case and we are confident in everything we have charged.”
