'No winner': Mother shares her pain as judge sentences man convicted of killing her son
WEST PALM BEACH — Standing before a judge Thursday afternoon, Valli Moyer spoke of the pain she has endured for the past five years. She spoke of a mother's heartache since the night in June 2018 when her son Justin and 20-year-old Crystal Rivera were killed when a gunman opened fire on their vehicle near West Palm Beach.
"This has been over five years. Every day that I wake up, it's June 4, 2018, for me," Valli Moyer said during a sentencing hearing for Hipolito Jesus Fraguela, the man convicted in July of her son's murder.
"What you have done to my son, senselessly, ignorantly, you should have been stopped a long time ago."
After listening to emotional testimony from Justin Moyer's mother, his teenage daughter and his former girlfriend, Circuit Judge Sarah Willis sentenced Fraguela to two life terms without the possibility of parole, and 30 years with mandatory minimum of 25 years, ordering that the sentences be served concurrently.
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A jury in July found Fraguela guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. In addition to the deaths of Justin Moyer and Rivera, a third person, Bailey Post, was wounded in the attack, prosecutors told jurors.
Prosecutors told the jury that that Fraguela, 38, killed Moyer in the early morning hours of June 4, 2018, in a dispute over money and suggested it stemmed from the theft of marijuana.
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Moyer spent the evening with friends at the Spearmint Rhino Gentleman’s Club before he and four others piled into a car and began to drive away.
One of the car's occupants said a man, who she later identified as Fraguela, pulled up beside them in a white SUV, aimed a gun at Moyer and said: "This is for you."
The gunman opened fire before driving away from the intersection of Okeechobee Boulevard and Military Trail.
Defense sought new trial, saying court made errors
Prior to sentencing, Willis listened to arguments for a new trial by Fraguela's defense team.
In a motion filed with the court, defense attorney Mattie Fore argued that the court erred in several ways:
Allowing the jury to hear evidence about anonymous tips received by law enforcement.
Admitting evidence that Fraguela committed the collateral crimes of selling illegal drugs.
Allowing the jury to see a gruesome crime-scene video.
Allowing a jailhouse informant to provide unreliable information.
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Willis reviewed each facet of the motion before determining that the jury's verdict was proper and denying the defense's request.
Fraguela sat silently through the proceeding and did not address the court. Candida Lugo, Rivera's mother, also attended the sentencing but did not speak.
Mother of dead man senses justice but no victory
Valli Moyer said Justin was an aspiring music artist who had just come off a nationwide tour. She described him as a person who children loved and who went out of his way to help others.
After the hearing, she spoke of the long wait for justice, which included numerous delays and trial resets as she traveled back and forth from her home in Houston.
"I still feel there's no winner," said Moyer, a former West Palm Beach resident. "My son's never coming home. I feel like there's some sort of justice, but it's been over five years. …
"I'm glad that there's finally some kind of justice. I would say for any mother, or poor father, that is going through this, keep fighting. Don't give up."
Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Judge sentences man convicted in 2018 double homicide near West Palm Beach
