Jurors in the trial of an Arizona rancher charged with fatally shooting a migrant on his property will have the opportunity to visit the ranch near the border with Mexico as the trial progresses. The judge overseeing the case has approved the visit to 75-year-old George Alan Kelly's ranch, citing its potential to aid jurors in making a fair determination of the allegations.
The visit, scheduled for this week, will not include members of the news media, as the judge has imposed restrictions on questioning jurors and capturing images of them. While such visits are relatively uncommon, they have been utilized in past cases to provide jurors with a firsthand perspective of the scene.
In the ongoing trial, testimony has been presented by Kelly's wife, who reported seeing armed individuals passing their house on the day of the shooting. A migrant from Honduras who was present on the ranch at the time described witnessing the victim, Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea, fall to the ground after being struck by a bullet that was never recovered.
Kelly, who was armed with both an AK-47 rifle and a handgun, was arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting that occurred on January 30, 2023. Prosecutors allege that Kelly recklessly fired towards the group of migrants, while Kelly and his defense team dispute this account.
The trial, which began on March 22 and is scheduled to conclude on April 19, has drawn attention to the issue of border security. The case comes amidst a broader national debate on immigration and border policies, with both Republican and Democratic leaders recently visiting the Texas-Mexico border to address these concerns.
