GAINESVILLE - The Supreme Court of Georgia has upheld the verdict and sentence of a Hall County man that killed an acquaintance in 2008.
Hugo M. Tepanca was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder , aggravated assault and commission of a firearm during the commission of a felony by a jury in 2010 in the shooting death of Jose Sanchez-Vargas. Tepanca claimed he was subject to mutually exclusive verdicts and received ineffective assistance from his first appellate council.
The court released an opinion today, stating that the judgement was affirmed, and that all Justices agreed.
Tepanca was found guilty in 2010 of shooting Sanchez-Vargas after an altercation that began over the woman Tepanca was having a secret sexual relationship with.
The shooting happened in April 2008. Tepanca was indicted in May of that year in Hall County.
Tepanca is serving life imprisonment for felony murder and five consecutive years for possession of a firearm.
