[chris]

Circumstances of Offense:

John Ryan’s 14-year-old niece, Thalia Vezos, testified that at approximately 11 p.m. on January 14, 1982, she was in bed in her Ft. Lauderdale home when she saw a man standing in the hallway holding a gun and carrying a brown wallet-type object under his arm. He indicated that Vezos was to keep quiet. He then cut the wires to her telephone and left the room. Ryan appeared in the hall and tried to take the gun from the intruder. Ryan was shot in the scuffle and landed on top of Vezos. The intruder shot six more times, then fled.

A short while later police responding to a BOLO stopped Blanco, who was riding a bicycle, and arrested him. A man’s purse containing Blanco’s ID papers and a watch belonging to Vezos was found near the door to Vezos’ bedroom. On the day following the murder, Vezos identified Blanco in a lineup as the perpetrator.

Additional information:

Blanco was convicted in 1984 of an armed robbery he committed two weeks prior to the murder.

[chris]

Circumstances of Offense:

John Ryan’s 14-year-old niece, Thalia Vezos, testified that at approximately 11 p.m. on January 14, 1982, she was in bed in her Ft. Lauderdale home when she saw a man standing in the hallway holding a gun and carrying a brown wallet-type object under his arm. He indicated that Vezos was to keep quiet. He then cut the wires to her telephone and left the room. Ryan appeared in the hall and tried to take the gun from the intruder. Ryan was shot in the scuffle and landed on top of Vezos. The intruder shot six more times, then fled.

A short while later police responding to a BOLO stopped Blanco, who was riding a bicycle, and arrested him. A man’s purse containing Blanco’s ID papers and a watch belonging to Vezos was found near the door to Vezos’ bedroom. On the day following the murder, Vezos identified Blanco in a lineup as the perpetrator.

Additional information:

Blanco was convicted in 1984 of an armed robbery he committed two weeks prior to the murder.

[shooterb]