"They were sure that the man responsible for the Feb. 2 death of 68-year-old Rolando Silva Sr. was his longtime friend, Larry Lopez, who was seen bringing his gun into Silva's home just minutes before the homicide. But Lopez's lawyer was claiming Silva had actually died of suicide, and when detectives swabbed the gun for DNA, the murder case was dealt another blow: skin cells on the trigger were matched to Silva, not Lopez, the undisputed owner of the firearm."
"Hayward police Detective Dominick Reichmuth recounted to a county medical examiner last May, according to court records. But a motion by Lopez's attorney claims Reichmuth added that, "There's other ways around it." That utterance by Reichmuth is now part of an ongoing effort by Lopez's attorney to prove not only that Silva shot himself with Lopez's gun, but that Hayward police have drafted falsified sworn statements, suppressed evidence and pressured the Alameda County coroner to concoct a murder case against him,"
Investigators identified Larry Lopez as the primary suspect in the Feb. 2 death of 68-year-old Rolando Silva Sr., after witnesses saw Lopez bring a gun into Silva's home and heard a gunshot. DNA swabs of the gun's trigger matched Silva, complicating homicide allegations. Detective Dominick Reichmuth noted the DNA could support suicide, but defense counsel alleges investigators pursued a fabricated homicide theory, suppressed evidence, and pressured the coroner. Lopez initially denied involvement in police interviews, later charged and held for murder, then had bail reduced to $50,000 amid ongoing legal maneuvers and upcoming trial proceedings.
Read at The Mercury News
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