Robin Piper, the Prosecutor of Butler County, brings into office a wealth of legal experience and knowledge.Mr. Piper graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law in 1981.

In addition to maintaining a private practice in Hamilton for many years, Mr. Piper was also an Assistant Prosecutor for John Holcomb from 1983 until 1998. Mr. Piper's record as a Assistant Prosecutor is remarkable, and his efforts as a Special Prosecutor during the famous Lucasville Prison Riots earned him praises and recognition from then-Governor George Voinovich, Senator Mike Dewine, and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. read more

June 24, 2010

Death Penalty Indictment in Gang-Related Double Homicide

The Butler County Prosecutor’s Office announced today a death penalty indictment involving a double homicide.

After an investigation that lasted nearly two years, and has involved multiple law enforcement agencies, a Butler County Grand Jury has handed down an indictment for two counts of Aggravated Murder, one count of Attempted Aggravated Murder, and charges involving Intimidation of a Witness and Participating in a Criminal Gang. All contain specifications.

Hector Alvarenga Retana, aka “Raul” aka “Desente,” age 22, has been indicted as a principal offender involving the prior calculation and design for the deaths of two Honduran natives: Evelvin Osveli Morales, aka “Osbelin,” age 20, and Marlon Enamorado-Gomez, aka “Juan Carlos,” age 21. The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 13, 2008 in the vicinity of an establishment known as Casa Tequila, located on Dixie Hwy. in the city of Fairfield.

Evelvin Morales and Marlon Enamorado-Gomez were front-seat occupants in a parked vehicle in which Jimmy Enamorado-Gomez (brother of Marlon), age 19, was a back seat passenger. Another vehicle approached and Retana opened fire from the vehicle killing the two front seat occupants. Both men were shot in the head.

“The Fairfield Police Department has been working relentlessly on solving this double homicide since the night it happened. They have followed numerous leads made difficult because of language barriers. They have traveled out of state, interviewing witnesses, and have enlisted the support of other law enforcement agencies, including the F.B.I. It’s what good police work is all about,” indicated Prosecutor Piper in announcing the charges.

“We know Retana has been a transient, locating in several cities throughout the country, and has had other run-ins with the law. It’s our belief he is a member of MS-13, a notoriously violent, criminal gang. We do not believe he was in Fairfield long and his movement throughout the U.S. made him difficult to track,” said Fairfield Police Chief Michael Dickey.

Both, the Police Chief and the Prosecutor, expressed gratitude to the F.B.I. and others in law enforcement who contributed information and helped facilitate access to important witnesses.

Prosecutor Piper went on to say, “Committing violent crime is a way of becoming initiated within MS-13. It is also a way to increase your status within the gang. It is believed our double homicide is gang related. While MS-13 is a very organized criminal enterprise, a significant portion of the ruthless violence committed is somewhat spontaneous. Gathering evidence on suspects who have few, if any, connection to the community can be extremely difficult. Add language barriers to the mix and investigating a crime can be almost impossible. Fairfield Detective Rebecca Ervin, along with others in the Fairfield Police Department, never lost the trail. Ample evidence was presented to a Butler County Grand Jury resulting in the death penalty indictment released today. Murder and gang violence will be met with the strongest commitment and most aggressive resources we have.”

Hector Retana is currently charged with First Degree Murder, Attempted First Degree Murder, Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury in Charlotte, North Carolina and is scheduled to go to trial on November 8, 2010.

Retana is also charged with Aggravated Murder with a Firearm Specification and two counts of Felonious Assault with Firearm Specifications for the fatal shooting that occurred in Hamilton County at The Corinthian in the early morning hours of July 27, 2008. It is expected Retana will not face charges in Ohio until after his trial in North Carolina.

Anyone possessing knowledge as to MS-13 gang activity is asked to contact the F.B.I. Gang & Criminal Enterprise Squad at (513) 421-4310. ANYONE WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THE CURRENT INDICTMENT IS ASKED TO CONTACT DETECTIVE REBECCA ERVIN AT (513) 867-6094.

Click HERE for information about the MS13 gang

“We weren’t going to let this turn into a “cold case”, it was just a matter of following all the leads and piecing the information together. I’m extremely proud of our Detective Division for the work they have done in this case.” Prosecutor Piper added “We do not pursue the death penalty lightly, but when the punishment fits the crime that is what we go with. The Grand Jury found, from the evidence presented, the death penalty was appropriate. Gang activity has to be disrupted and the violence stopped,” concluded Prosecutor Piper.

* * *
Contact: For more information contact Robin Piper
(513) 887-3494

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