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State Supreme Court affirms murder conviction of local man
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MUGSHOT of Nicolas Lopez. Messenger File Photo
The Georgia Supreme Court has affirmed the malice murder conviction of Nicolas Lopez in the 2017 shooting death of Robert Moon of Cairo. Lopez represented himself in his appeal, claiming that “(1) his trial counsel labored under a conflict of interest; (2) he otherwise received ineffective assistance of counsel; (3) the trial court erred in failing to ensure an accurate transcription of the trial; (4) the trial judge erred in failing to recuse himself; and (5) the trial court erred in recharging the jury.”
The Supreme Court found no error and affirmed his conviction on malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Lopez was convicted of shooting and killing Moon.
Moon, 49, lived across the street from Lopez when he was shot at close range on May 26, 2017. After fleeing the scene, Lopez turned himself in to Grady County Sheriff’s deputies the next day.
Lopez was tried in Grady County December 2018 and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for malice murder and a consecutive term of five years in prison for the weapons conviction.
Deputies had responded to Bond Road where Lopez and Moon lived previously to handle arguments between the two men, according to the Supreme Court affirmation. On May 26, 2017, a neighbor had called 911 after his children said Lopez was shooting a gun while they were outside playing. When the deputy arrived, he spoke with Lopez who became agitated and asked who had called 911. When the deputy declined to identify the caller, Lopez said he would go inside and lie down.
The affirmation states that although Lopez went to his neighbor’s house to complain about the 911 call, his attention shifted to Moon, and as he stared at Moon working outside with his half-brother, Lopez said, “‘If that motherf***er cross me, I’m going to kill him.’”
The neighbor testified that he later saw Lopez walk over to Moon’s house.
Moon’s half-brother testified that they had been working on Moon’s truck and stopped to eat a sandwich when Lopez walked over “cursing and yelling about Moon calling the police on him. Moon refused to walk over to Lopez and asked him whether he was carrying a gun. Lopez did not respond, but he walked straight toward Moon and shot him point-blank with a handgun,” the affirmation states.
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