A 52-year old Buford man has been convicted of murder 23 years after the crime was committed. Hector U. Garay was convicted Thursday of killing Adalberto Salinas, a successful Gwinnett County businessman, in 1996.
The victim was at home on January 21, 1996 when he opened the door to Garay and was shot twice, fatally wounding him in front of his wife.
According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, a few days later Gwinnett County Police Department received a tip that Garay had tried to get another man to help him rob Salinas, who owned several businesses along Buford Highway and was rumored to have a large amount of cash. That witness told police that Garay had confessed to the murder and planned to leave the country. Garay also admitted being involved to his roommate at the time.
Garay had been hiding in El Salvador for 22 years but was arrested when he tried to enter Honduras in 2017.
On Friday he was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
His sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2020, but in the state of Georgia those convicted of murder only have two sentencing options – life in prison without parole, or life with parole.
