The fate of a 39-year-old man accused of killing a Spencer man is now in the hands of a district court judge. The bench trial of the former Estherville man on second degree murder and kidnapping charges ended today.
Juan Humberto Castillo-Alvarez is the last defendant to stand trial in the Gregory "Sky" Erickson murder nearly 10 years ago. Prosecutors say Erickson was killed because of a 14-hundred dollar drug money debt.
The defense argued that underling Luis Lua killed Erickson when Castillo-Alvarez only ordered the Spencer teenager to be roughed up. Judge Don Courtney heard the case. It isn’t known when he’ll deliver his verdict.