Two 19-year-old suspects in the drive-by shooting death of a Lexington man appeared in Dawson County Court Tuesday morning. Adalberto Saenz-Gonzalez and Francisco Hernandez-Corona were each arraigned on charges of First Degree Murder, which carries a penalty of life in prison. Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman said she would not be seeking the death penalty. They also face a charge of Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony.
Judge Jeffrey Wightman continued their bonds which were previously set at $1 Million, cash. Their preliminary hearings were set for August 10th at 2:30pm. Judge Wightman ordered the Dawson County Public Defender’s Office and Nebraska Commission on Public Advocacy to represent Saenz-Gonzalez. Hernandez-Corona indicated he would obtain his own attorney to represent him.
The men are accused of killing 23-year-old Marcus S. Keyser in the early morning hours of July 6th. He was found, around 3:10am, deceased in the front of a residential garage in the 800 block of West 9th Street according to Lexington Police Chief Tracy Wolf.
Law enforcement was called to the area about an hour earlier, around 2:00am, on an anonymous report of gun shots. Officers from Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol responded but, no activity was found at that time.
The Lexington Police Department is investigating the case with the assistance of the regional law enforcement coalition known as the South Central Area Law Enforcement Services.
If anyone has information related to the case, they are asked to contact the Lexington Police Department at 308-324-2317.
In a Lexington Police Department report filed with the Court, it says officers were first called to the area around 1:59am on July 6th on a report of gunshots in the area along with a white vehicle. Officers arrived but did observe any vehicles in the area. But, two blocks away they located a white Ford Explorer and contacted two Hernandez-Corona and Saenz Gonzalez who were found to be intoxicated and in possession of alcohol. Both were arrested for being minors in possession of alcohol. Their iPhones were later seized as evidence by an investigator.
Officers were called back to the area around 3:11am when they found Keyser deceased. He had suffered a gunshot wound to his head and was dead on the driveway. Keyser’s iPhone was collected into evidence along with a 9mm handgun. Several bullet holes were found in the residence as well as a neighbor’s home. and two bullet holes in a vehicle. Keyser and the two suspects were observed in a nearby convenience store around 1:31am. All three men’s cellphones were later analyzed. Information indicated that Keyser was shot and killed around 1:45am. A rifle was seized at one of the suspect’s residence.
It’s not clear what led to the shooting but the investigation indicates there may have been an ongoing disagreement between Hernandez-Corona and Keyser. Investigators have also developed a timeline of events through collection of technology data and dispatch records.
