HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — About two months after he was indicted on murder charges in connection to the death of Edwin Pirando, Jamie John Nededog started trial in the Superior Court of Guam on Wednesday.
Since Nededog was charged via indictment, very few details about his alleged involvement had been revealed to the public until Assistant Attorney General Sean Brown gave his opening statements to start the trial.
Brown explained that Nededog and Pirando, who were neighbors in Hågat, were seen at about 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 14, 2023, when Pirando’s truck was reversing out of the driveway of his home. Nededog was in the car, and the two were seen on video surveillance parked across the 76 Circle K gas station in Hågat as the pair were going to get cigarettes.
Brown told the jury that they would see a video showing the truck had parked for about nine minutes and neither Pirando nor Nededog exited during that time. The brake lights then went on and hazard lights went on and then the truck traveled toward the Sånta Rita-Sumai Mobil gas station.
Brown said that about five hours later, at 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2023, the same truck was seen leaving Nededog’s residence. The truck was spotted again two hours later parked in the area by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church and the school. Nededog was also seen walking in the area.
“You’re going to hear about the family that found Mr. Edwin Pirando’s body at the Sumai shrine at about roughly 2 p.m. on Oct. 15, (2023),” stated Brown, who added, although Pirando’s face was beaten with a blunt object about 10 times, a murder weapon would not be presented at trial.
Diving into the investigation, Brown said that Nededog went to the Guam Police Department already knowing Pirando had been dead and gave written and oral statements that Brown deemed were a confession.
“Based on what was said in the oral and written statements, based on the videos you have, Mr. Nededog is the only person that could’ve killed Edwin Pirando,” Brown said.
Innocence
Nededog’s attorney, Peter Santos from the Alternate Public Defender division, said in his opening statements that Nededog “has always maintained absolute and total innocence.”
“He has never confessed. He has went forward to the cops, told them what he knows, and instead of going to look for the real killer, they set eyes on him. And that’s what the investigation is going to show,” Santos said.
Santos also said in his opening statements that there was no evidence of any sort that Nededog killed Pirando.
“What you’re going to see (is) … nothing in this case, no evidence, no direct evidence, even no circumstantial evidence is going to show that Jamie is the one that delivered those blows,” said Santos, adding the only thing established was that Nededog was the last person to be with Pirando.
Defense attorney Peter Santos, left, sits with Jamie John Nededog on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, during Nededog’s trial at the Superior Court of Guam in Hagåtña. Nededog is accused in the murder of Edwin Pirando.
