HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — A man serving multiple life sentences for murdering nine people in the 1980s is set to make an appearance before the Supreme Court of Guam.
On Thursday morning, Supreme Court justices held several status hearings ahead of upcoming hearings in the higher court.
One of those called was for 60-year-old Eligio Adriatico, who is currently being held at the U.S. Penitentiary in Atwater, California, and serving four life sentences for a crime spree in the 1980s.
The Supreme Court determined Adriatico, who is being represented in the appellate proceedings by Stephen Hattori, the executive director of the Public Defender Service Corp., will have his day in court at 9 a.m. Nov. 16.
“The appeal is limited to whether the trial court should have considered evidence of his youthfulness when deciding whether to give Mr. Adriatico a parole hearing based upon U.S. Supreme Court case law and other jurisdictions,” Hattori explained to The Guam Daily Post after the hearing.
According to court documents, Adriatico, who was 20 years old at the time, and co-actor Romeo Marquez were charged after killing seven people and seriously injuring 10 between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4, 1984.
Adriatico was sentenced to life in prison without parole or work release for two counts of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated assault, two counts of assault, robbery and two counts of possession and use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony.
However, while in prison, Adriatico and Marquez were convicted in the Aug. 7, 1984, shooting at the Guam Department of Corrections facility where they killed two inmates and left two others permanently disabled.
Adriatico, as a result, was given four life sentences without parole to run concurrently with the other case.
Early last year, nearly 40 years after the murders, Adriatico filed a motion to request compassionate release on the grounds he “was (a) troubled and immature adolescent who was prone to mental and emotional challenges.”
Although noted by Judge Vernon Perez, ultimately Perez decided to deny Adriatico’s release.
The Guam Judicial Center in Hagåtña is seen Friday, June 2, 2023. On Nov. 16, 2023, a man serving several life sentences for nine murders committed in the 1980s will have a chance to argue an appeal before the Supreme Court of Guam.
