Two defendants in the Jesus Avila murder cases have separate hearings in Lyon County District Court this week.
Jordy Cornejo-Campoverde has a motions hearing at 9 am Thursday in front of Judge Lee Fowler. Cornejo-Campoverde is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other counts in Avila’s death.
Alan Alanis has a hearing at 1:30 pm Thursday in front of Judge Merlin Wheeler, and the question of whether he will be tried as a juvenile or adult could finally be resolved then. Alanis was in court for three days last month on the topic, but the hearing was continued to Thursday. Like Cornejo-Campoverde, Alanis currently faces first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and other counts. Alanis is currently the only defendant who has not been certified as an adult for court proceedings.
Avila was found in a burned-out vehicle just south of Emporia in September 2017. Evidence from prior testimony during the court process indicates Avila was shot twice in the head. Six people — all juveniles at the time of the killing — have been charged in connection to Avila’s death.
