Trial begins for 2009 death

The only thing clear in Tuesday morning’s opening arguments for the Marvin Silva murder trial were that three weapons were involved the night of Nov. 23, 2009.

Who attacked who with what weapon seemed unclear as the defense argued that Silva, 40, never had a weapon in his hand, and the state argued he bludgeoned murder victim Marco Bonilla, 25, in the head with a hammer.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Stover painted a picture of complete chaos as he described the events of the November evening, saying that three men — Bonilla, brother Rodrigo Bonilla and Lucio Ramirez — arrived at a residence on the 200 block of West Ivy Street to buy methamphetamines from Asia Pena, who had Silva and his wife, Tonya Meeks, at the residence with her, along with Leroy Salas.

Stover and Defense Attorney Gary Mitchell agreed there was a disagreement between Pena and Ramirez, 22, who was buying the drugs, so the three men left.

It was later that night when the three men returned to the residence and pulled a hammer, a board and a pipe from the trunk of their vehicle.

Stover said weapons were pulled from the trunk when the residents of the house began throwing things at them, such as cinder blocks and beer cans, which were found on the scene.

Mitchell argued that no one at the house acted violently until the three men pulled weapons from their trunk.

Stover said Salas was the one who had a knife and stabbed Bonilla through the ribs, piercing his lungs and part of the heart.

Salas, 59, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 2013.

Stover said Ramirez chased after Salas when he realized his friend had been stabbed, and when he returned to the scene, he returned to find Bonilla had additional wounds in the form of two bashes to the head.

“As Marco sits there bleeding from this (stab) wound, the defendant approaches him from behind, bashes him on the back of the head then when he falls to the ground, he bashes him in the forehead,” Stover told jurors.

Mitchell painted a much kinder picture, saying that Silva and his family were at Pena’s residence making Christmas wreaths when the three men arrived at the house.

He continued by pointing out the three men in the vehicle had been drinking all day and were at the house to buy drugs.

Mitchell said when the fight left the residence and worked its way down the street and around the corner, it was between Ramirez, Bonilla and Salas, and Silva was not even present, a fact Mitchell claimed Salas would attest to later in the trial.

“Lucio (Ramirez) would like you to believe they (Silva and Salas) started this, but that’s not the case,” Mitchell said. “Marvin Silva didn’t try to do anything but be a good husband, a good father and a good friend. For goodness sake, he was making Christmas wreaths.”

The trial continues at 8:30 a.m. today with closing arguments anticipated to take place Thursday or Friday.