DA to seek death penalty in Hall double-murder

GAINESVILLE - The state will seek the death penalty in a Hall County double-murder which occurred March 13 near Flowery Branch.

The victims - Franceso Mendoza Saucedo, 25, of Buford and Alejandra Santana, 26, of Duluth - were found shot to death in a car on Bragg Road.

Brigido Soto Garcia and Uriel Ignacio Vergara-Mendez, both of Flowery Branch, were arrested March 26 without incident at their homes and charged with the slayings.

Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jason Deal said Thursday the case meets a number of the criteria the state requires for a death peanlty case including robbery.

Deal said the next step is for the case to be assigned to a one of the Hall County Superior Court judges.