Gage Park family murder suspect guilty of all murders

CHICAGO — A man who was accused of brutally murdering six of his family members has been found unanimously guilty on all six counts of first-degree murder.

Prosecutors said Diego Uribe, 28, and his then-girlfriend Jafeth Ramos, 19, carried out murdering Uribe’s aunt, Maria Martinez, uncle, Noe Martinez Jr, their parents Rosaura and Noe Martinez Sr, and Maria’s children, 10-year-old Alexis Cruz and 13-year-old Leonardo Cruz, on Feb. 2, 2016.

A key element in Uribe’s conviction was the testimony of Ramos, who agreed to a plea deal with reduced charges in exchange for her testimony tying her ex-boyfriend to the killings.

According to prosecutors, Ramos said during her testimony it all began with a struggle between Uribe and Maria Martinez where Uribe demanded money from his aunt and that it ended with Uribe shooting her several times.

Uribe then pistol-whipped Noe Martinez Jr to death before pushing Rosaura Martinez down a flight of stairs and stabbing her to death.

Next, Uribe ordered Alexis and Leonardo to gather all of the valuables in the house, then stabbed them to death once they were done.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Uribe and Ramos then waited for Noe Martinez Jr to come home with dinner before Uribe ambushed him and stabbed him to death as well.

Their bodies were found two days later when police were called to the family home in the 5700 block of South California Avenue for a well-being check.