Resendiz defendants to be tried at once

The remaining eight defendants in a 1998 Carson City motel room beating death will be tried together March 10, a judge decided this week.

District Judge Michael Griffin ruled Tuesday the defendants will be tried together, despite earlier rulings that separated the original 12 defendants into groups of four.

Rocky Boice Jr., 23, was tried alone after severing his case from co-defendants Frederick Fred, Lew Dutchy and Jaron Malone.

Boice was convicted of second-degree murder in September of killing Sammy Resendiz in August 1998 during a beating at the Round House Inn Motel. A jury found him guilty of the lesser charge, although the district attorney went for first-degree murder.

The prosecution claimed Boice went to the motel with 11 others at the urging of his cousin Jessica Evans. She claimed a member of a gang slapped her earlier in the evening during a party there.

When the group arrived, the prosecution said they beat Resendiz and Carlos Lainez. Lainez survived; Resendiz died later at a Reno hospital of severe head injuries.

Julian Contreras, Alejandro Avila and David Moyle pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

The eight remaining defendants set for trial in March are Jaron Malone, Evans, Frederick Fred, Sylvia Fred, Michael Kizer, Elvin Fred, Dutchy and Clint Malone.

Boice will be sentenced Dec. 17. He could get 10 years to life in prison.