Judge Declares Mistrial In Prison Riot Murder Trial

Aug. 13, 2018, 3:38 a.m. ·

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Judge Vicky Johnson consults with attorneys earlier in the trial. (Photo by Kent Sievers, Omaha World-Herald)

District Court Judge Vicky Johnson has declared a mistrial in the prison riot murder trial of Eric Ramos and sent the jury home.


The mistrial comes after concerns about police and prison investigators called as witnesses meeting over the weekend in an attempt to locate missing video evidence.

Ramos is charged with the stabbing death of Micheal Galindo during an inmate uprising at the Tecumseh Correctional Center.

Eric Ramos in court during his murder trial. (Photo by Kent Sievers, Omaha World-Herald)

From the start his attorneys raised concerns about hours of surveillance video capturing events before and during the murder. They questioned whether the original recordings had been properly saved. At least seven minutes of footage were missing.

Last Thursday, with a prison investigator on the witness stand, the issue came up. Prosecutors, with the court's knowledge, asked if the missing footage could be located.

Over the weekend three investigators, all witnesses, located the missing footage, but the meeting was a violation of the court’s order to keep witnesses separate during a trial so they don’t compare notes.

This was the second time prosecutors with the Nebraska attorney general’s office had attempted to introduce new evidence after the trial had begun.

Judge Johnson, clearly frustrated by the turn of events, called for a new trial.

The state must decide if it wants to bring the same charges against Ramos. They have claimed up to 15 other inmates could have been part of the mob that attacked Micheal Galindo. No one else has been charged in connection with the murder.