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GWINNETT COUNTY, GA– A Norcross man was sentenced to life in prison for committing an execution-style murder of a 22-year-old man that he shot point-blank in his ear.
A Gwinnett County jury on Nov. 20 found Brian Sanchez Duarte, 32, guilty of malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the November 2022 shooting death of Alinton Joel Rivera-Zuniga. Duarte was sentenced to life in prison plus five years without the possibility of parole.
“This was a senseless death,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said. “This verdict and sentencing send a message that deadly violence is uncalled for. We hope the outcome of this case helps the victim’s family find solace.”
On the early morning of Nov. 27, 2022, Rivera-Zuniga was leaving the Alta Gama event hall in Norcross when he encountered Jose Caraballo-Mendez and Duarte in a red SUV. Caraballo-Mendez and Duarte had also been in the event hall, and Caraballo-Mendez offered a ride to Rivera-Zuniga.
During the trial, it was revealed that Duarte, who was riding in the front passenger seat of the SUV became agitated and questioned whether Rivera-Zuniga took the ride with bad intentions. Caraballo-Mendez, who was driving the SUV, testified during trial that Rivera-Zuniga was nervous and stripped down to his underwear to show that he was unarmed and not a threat.
Prosecutors showed jurors security camera footage of the SUV stopping on the road and Duarte getting out of the passenger seat and walking around to the left side of the vehicle. Caraballo-Mendez testified that Duarte ordered Rivera-Zuniga out of the SUV then shot the undressed man point-blank in his ear. Duarte got back in the passenger seat and the SUV drove away, leaving Rivera-Zuniga dead in the road.
The jury deliberated for about two hours before returning the guilty verdicts.
Managing Assistant District Attorney Drew Unger and Assistant District Attorney Ramika Gourdine-Palmer prosecuted the case with assistance from Investigators Matt Cleland and Christian Robertson, along with Victim Witness Advocate Sussy Key and extensive administrative assistance from Shelly Barnes. Detective J.R. Jorstad and the Gwinnett County Police Department were instrumental in solving the case, and the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner Carol Terry and Gwinnett District Attorney’s Office Investigator Ron Blackburn provided expert testimony the jury deemed crucial in reaching their verdict, the District Attorney’s Office stated.
Pictured: Brian Sanchez Duarte, 32. Photo via Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office