Overview
- At a closed-door evidentiary hearing, assistant police chief Carmelo Cinturrino spoke in court, denied beating or robbing anyone, and said he filed slander complaints against his accusers.
- Witnesses from the Rogoredo drug area told the judge that Cinturrino threatened Abderrahim “Zack” Mansouri and used a hammer to extort money or drugs, describing a pattern of violent shakedowns.
- An Afghan eyewitness said he saw Cinturrino shoot Mansouri in the head as the victim turned to run, and investigators allege the officer then staged the scene by placing a fake pistol next to the body.
- Defense lawyers argue the accusers are heroin users and pushers whose stories contain contradictions, and they reported an alleged criminal network in the woods as part of their challenge to credibility.
- Prosecutors say the accounts have been checked and verified, Cinturrino remains jailed on a premeditated murder charge that can carry life in prison, and related probes now span about thirty alleged offenses involving six other officers.