A Tucson man suspected of gunning down two men during a 2003 drug deal was sentenced to 12 years in prison Tuesday.
According to court documents, the bodies of Charles Richard Gross II, 20, and Christopher Gabriel McKenna, 21, were found near Old Nogales Highway and Summit Street, south of Tucson International Airport, on Sept. 11, 2003.
Autopsies revealed both men died from shotgun blasts.
In March 2004, detectives received phone records from a cellular phone found near Gross' body that helped them track down two witnesses.
One of the witnesses told police he was with the victims when they decided to follow two cousins out into the desert for a drug deal.
Once they got there, the witness said he saw Jose Luis Alarcon shoot Gross after he got out of the car. The witness said he threw his car in reverse when Alarcon pointed the gun at him. He said that when he ducked down, McKenna, who was in the back seat, was shot.
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The witness said he ended up wrecking his car and hid in the desert for two hours before walking to a convenience store and getting a ride home. He also said he caught the next bus to New York.
The other witness told detectives he was with Alarcon and Raymundo Eduardo Alarcon during the shooting.
He said both Alarcons got out of the car, then he heard about 30 shots, and when they came back to the car they threatened to kill him if he said anything. He said he hasn't seen them since.
Both Alarcons were arrested and charged with murder in January 2005, but court records indicate the charges against Raymundo Alarcon were dismissed last month.
On Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Pima County Attorney Kellie Johnson said the charges against Raymundo Alarcon were dismissed because prosecutors don't believe they can obtain a conviction against him at this time. Witnesses were unable to pick Raymundo Alarcon out of a photo lineup, she said.
An investigation continues into his alleged role in the incident, Johnson said.
A plea agreement was negotiated for Jose Alarcon because of uncooperative witnesses and other issues, Johnson said.
He was given credit for the 806 days he's already served in jail and ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution.
Jose Alarcon was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison in November 2004 in connection with another shooting. That sentence and the manslaughter sentence will run concurrently.
