Martinez-Guzman ordered transferred to Washoe County to face murder charges
Justice of the Peace Thomas Armstrong ordered today that Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman be transferred from Carson City to Washoe County to answer charges relating to the January murders of four people in Washoe and Douglas counties.
Martinez-Guzman was arrested January 19 in Carson City on burglary, stolen property, and weapons charges. After his arrest, he was charged in Washoe County with the murders and related burglary offenses.
Carson City District Attorney Jason Woodbury explained he worked closely with Washoe County District Attorney Christopher Hicks and Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson to decide how they would proceed with the multi-jurisdictional prosecutions.
“Based on those discussions, we felt the best course was to let the murder case go forward first,” said Woodbury. “Otherwise, these family members of the people killed would be stuck waiting in limbo for several months while we prosecuted our case.”
According to Woodbury, his decision was “unusual, but not unprecedented.”
“Generally, the jurisdiction that catches a defendant proceeds with its prosecution first,” Woodbury explained. “But under these circumstances, when we have a way to make the process a little easier on people victimized by a crime, and when those people tell us they want the murder case to go first, we absolutely listen and do our best to honor those wishes.”
Martinez-Guzman stipulated to the transfer and is expected to be moved from the Carson City Jail to the Washoe County Detention Center within the next 72 hours.
Despite the move, Carson City’s charges against Martinez-Guzman remain active, and will be addressed after adjudication of the murder case.
Woodbury said his office would follow the murder case and “reassess” Carson City’s charges after he sees its outcome.