1985-05-24

Amarillo Man found guilty in stabbing death

By BETTE PHELAN
Globe-News staff writer

A 31-year-old Amarillo man was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined $5,000 Thursday evening after a state district court jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter in the stabbing death of a California man at a card party on Dec 28, 1984.

Santos Lamas Jr., alias Santos Angeles Jr. and Santos Hernandez Lamas Jr. was declared guilty in the stabbing death of 24-year-old Paul Jacquez.

Lamas was indicted by a Potter County grand jury for murder which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $10,000 fine But the jury opted for the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, a second degree felony, which carries a punishment of no more than 20 years and no less than two years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

Voluntary manslaughter means a person "caused the death under the immediate influence of sudden passion..." according to the court charge.

The charge also gave the jury the option of finding Lamas not guilty for reasons of self defense Lamas did not act out of a sudden passion and did not try to defend himself from severe injury or death, but thought about stabbing Jacquez because he had insulted Lamas and punched him, prosecuting attorneys argued in emotional closing statements Thursday.

After they had a fist fight, Lamas was asked to leave the card party by Ranado Chacon, who was hosting the party at his home at 1209 E. 15th Ave.

Prosecutors said Lamas went to his car, got his knife from the front seat and said he returned to the house to get his hat

Prosecutors said Lamas testified that when he returned to the house and saw Jacquez come to ward him, he pulled out his 4 1/2-inch knife and stabbed Jacquez twice.

"The defendant didn't go back into the house to get his hat, he went back in to retriever his man-hood." a prosecutor said. "Some dumb hat is not worth a human life."

Jacquez died within four minutes of receiving a stab wound to his right arm and another to his left shoulder, Dr. Ralph. Erdmann, a panhandle pathologist, testified on Wednesday.

Erdmann said the knife cut two main veins, causing a loss of blood that meant quick death without immediate surgery.

Chacon had testified that before the stabbing at his gin rummy card party, Lamas and Jacquez got in a fist light when Jacquez teased Lamas for not drinking a shot of bourbon.

Several witnesses at the card party testified Jacquez was a much larger man than Lamas and was the first to pick a fight at the card table.

Lamas' attorney argued the witnesses had discussed their testimony before the trial in an attempt to get Lamas sent to prison in what his attorney' called a "mute conspiracy"