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Sunday, March 06, 2005
Ex-PBA star to face murder trial in Vegas
LAS VEGAS -- Despite conflicting testimony from two witnesses and a claim of self-defense, a judge ordered a former Philippine basketball star to stand trial for murder in the fatal stabbing of another man in November.
"There are more unanswered questions than answered on what started this whole situation," Las Vegas Justice Court Judge Ann E. Zimmerman said Thursday before binding Rudy Distrito over for trial.
Authorities say Distrito, a defensive star during 15 years in the
Philippine Basketball Association stabbed Juan Amaya to death during a scuffle several blocks east of the Las Vegas Strip.
Distrito's defense lawyer, Robert Langford, called the Nov. 24 slaying self-defense.
"The burden is on the state to prove that it was not self-defense and they have to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt," Langford said.
Distrito has been jailed since surrendering to authorities in December. He was scheduled for arraignment March 21 in Clark County District Court.
Witness Richard Crooks testified Thursday that Distrito told him Amaya had a knife when the two men started wrestling on the ground.
But Crooks' friend, 17-year-old Sidney Messer, said Crooks told her that Distrito told him Distrito had the knife.
Distrito's aggressive play for Ginebra San Miguel earned him the nickname "The Destroyer." He was suspended in 1995, his final season, for a flagrant foul against an opponent.
Manny Dumo, who is associated with the National Federation of Filipino Americans Association, compared Distrito with former NBA star Dennis Rodman, also known for an aggressive style of play.
"He's one of the super players in the Philippines," Dumo said of Distrito. "He was a star and a franchise player."(AP)
(March 6, 2005 issue)
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