Pedro Santiago-Marquez appears in court via video conference June 17, 2022. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — One of the suspects connected to the drug debt-related murder of Jason Mendez-Ramos, whose burned body was found on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus in September 2021, will not get a new trial, a judge ruled Friday.
Pedro Santiago-Marquez is serving a life prison term. Prosecutors claimed Santiago-Marquez owed Mendez-Ramos $80,000 for a cocaine deal. Two others, Jeisaac Rodriguez-Garcia and Alexander Burgos-Mojica, were convicted of assisting in the crime.
In his post-conviction motion, Santiago-Marquez argued Rodriguez-Garcia lied to protect two others and that those two were actually responsible for the murder. Additionally, the motion contends the state didn’t turn over evidence that could support that claim.
But Judge William Atkinson denied the motion.
“I’m not satisfied the government’s suppression undermines the confidence in the outcome of the trial. There’s not a reasonable probability that Santiago would not have been convicted if the evidence has been disclosed. Therefore, the defense Brady motion is denied,” he said.
Atkinson also denied Santiago-Marquez’s motion for a new trial based on ineffective assistance of counsel. Those decisions could be appealed to the state Court of Appeals.
According to the criminal complaints, Santiago-Marquez owned an east-side business. At that time, Mendez-Ramos, Burgos-Mojica and Rodriguez-Garcia currently or previously worked for Santiago-Marquez. A witness told police Santiago-Marquez owed Mendez-Ramos $80,000 for a cocaine deal and confessed to the murder.
Mendez-Ramos’ body was dumped on the edge of the UWGB campus and set on fire. Security videos, cellphone tracking information and DNA tie Rodriguez-Garcia to that scene, according to the criminal complaints.
Burgos-Mojica was sentenced to a year in prison. Rodriguez-Garcia was sentenced to four years in prison.
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