TRENTON >> The attorney for a Latin Kings leader on trial for murder did not step foot in a Mercer County courtroom Wednesday, leaving the reins to his young, baby-faced associate, Andrew Ferencevych.
In retrospect, it was as good an indication as any that no verdict was coming in the fourth murder trial of Jose “Boom Bat” Negrete, who is accused of ordering the 2004 murder of gang “queen” Jeri Lynn Dotson and botched murder attempt on gang turncoat Alex Ruiz.
The 12-member panel, which received the case Tuesday, was locked in deliberations most of Wednesday, breaking only for lunch. Jurors resume deliberations Thursday morning.
Prosecutors have tried in vain for more than a decade to convict Negrete, who was portrayed at trial as a ruthless leader whose goal was to grow the Trenton tribe of the Latin Kings from a feeble, loosely associated organization into a feared street gang.
When Ruiz defection from the Netas to the Latin Kings triggered a war, Negrete ordered Ruiz handed over to quash the violence. Negrete was enraged when the Netas didn’t kill Ruiz and ordered his henchmen to finish him, prosecutors said.
Negrete allegedly ordered Dotson killed because she was a “security risk” who was believed to be feeding information to the cops or Netas and couldn’t be trusted to keep quiet after she witnessed the Aug. 30, 2004 abduction of Ruiz from the Chestnut Street home they shared.
Negrete’s first trial in 2008 ended in a hung jury. Another trial was scrapped following jury selection while a jury in 2009 convicted him of conspiracy, murder and attempted murder. Negrete’s 80-year sentence was ultimately overturned because of jury misconduct.