State AG Drops Hosseini Murder Case

The murder of shopkeeper Vahid Hosseini and the ensuing charges against Williams Rodriguez were a turning point in the political career of former District Attorney Dolores Carr.

Carr’s husband, a retired lieutenant with the San Jose Police Department, was found to be serving as a consultant for the Hosseini family, and Carr’s office was forced to recuse itself from the case. The problem was that the DA, through her husband, was receiving money in a potential death penalty case from a victim’s family.

Now that Jeff Rosen is DA, the problem with Carr’s involvement in the case through her husband has vanished. But the State Attorney General’s office announced yesterday that it has decided to drop the case against Rodriguez.

Though Rodriguez has spent the last two years in jail, they say that cell phone records show that he was not in the city on the day of the murder, there was no DNA sample from him in the getaway vehicle, and the person who identified him as the suspect was motivated more by the $90,000 reward money and a personal animosity toward Rodriguez than any desire to see justice served.

The family of the victim still believes that he orchestrated the killing. The case could be refiled, but that would likely require more evidence. Rosen says that he will review the case if asked, but that does not mean that it will be refiled.

As for Rodriguez, he will not be getting out of jail any time soon. During the case, his phones were wiretapped, providing evidence of armed robbery, fraud, and criminal threats. Even without the murder charges, he still faces at least seven years in jail.
Read more at the Mercury News.

3 Comments

  1. “Though Rodriguez has spent the last two years in jail, they say that cell phone records show that he was not in the city on the day of the murder, there was no DNA sample from him in the getaway vehicle, and the person who identified him as the suspect was motivated more by the $90,000 reward money and a personal animosity toward Rodriguez than any desire to see justice served.”

    it took 2 years to find this out?

    Good thing for us that Mr. Rodriguez is a bad guy.  If he were an upstanding citizen the taxpayers of Santa Clara County would be stuck with a huge lawsuit.

  2. More millions lost for more DA’s screwups

    Some lawyer will sue county getting millions again because DA office screwed up again and put an innocent person in jail again

    Jeff – time to fire some Assistant Da’s if Mercury is got facts right this time

    Is he still guilty but DA’s office screwed up and does not have evidence like guilty De Anza baseball player rapes ?

  3. So the cell phone records “PROVE”  Rodriguez wasn’t in San Jose on the day of the murder. 

    I guess the all knowing cell phone records also prove that Rodriguez was in sole possession of his phone outside the City all day on the day of the murder.  The records also must.prove Rodriguez could not possibly left his phone outside the City and perhaps used another cell phone unknown to anyone at this time or not passed any phone at.the.time of the murder.

    THAT 100% reliable DNA not found in the supposed “getaway” vehicle also must prove that Rodriguez could not have arrived at the scene or fled the scene on foot or even in another “getaway” vehicle. 

    There are some pretty smart people at the AG’S office, but I never knew they were this smart!

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