Adrian A.J. Gonzalez, who was convicted as a juvenile for the horrifying murder of neighbor Madyson Middleton, is facing a jury trial to evaluate the risks of his release. Prosecutor Tara George intensely cross-examined Gonzalez, aiming to unpack his mindset and the planning behind the crime that occurred when he was only 15. With the District Attorney's Office arguing against his release due to potential dangers to society, the trial seeks to ensure community safety before his expected release in late 2024.
George grilled Gonzalez both about the timeline and his thought process through every step of the murder. She asked Gonzalez when he began to plan the crime and he said that he didn't know he was going to commit the act until he noticed the 8-year-old Madyson sitting at a picnic table on the grounds of the Tannery Arts Center that day.
In the months before his scheduled release, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office petitioned Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Denine Guy, stating if Gonzalez was released, he could be a danger to society.
On July 26, 2015, then 15-year-old Gonzalez, kidnapped, raped and murdered his neighbor, 8-year-old Madyson Maddy Middleton, at the Tannery Arts Center in Santa Cruz.
Gonzalez has remained in the juvenile justice system since his arrest in 2015 and was slated to be released on his 25th birthday in October 2024.
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