Norfolk, Nebraska – Death-row inmate Jorge Galindo is seeking to have his convictions and sentence for the U.S. Bank killings in 2002 vacated. This comes after an unsuccessful attempt to appeal his case to the Nebraska Supreme Court and a split decision affirming the denial of postconviction relief.
Galindo, along with Jose Sandoval and Erick Vela, was responsible for the shooting deaths of five people at a U.S. Bank branch in September 2002. Despite their actions, the three left the bank without any money. As a result, Galindo received the death penalty, and subsequent automatic appeals were rejected.
In 2019, Galindo filed a motion for postconviction relief, alleging prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel. His attorney argued for a hearing to explore allegations that the county attorney had been involved in criminal activity and shielded himself from federal scrutiny by implicating Galindo in another killing.
The Nebraska Supreme Court heard oral arguments but ultimately affirmed the denial of an evidentiary hearing. However, a partial dissent from Justice Jonathan Papik expressed the possibility of a constitutional violation and the need for an evidentiary hearing.
Galindo’s legal team filed a motion to stay the mandate issuance while seeking federal review, ultimately leading to a 375-page petition for a writ of habeas corpus with 37 claims being raised on Galindo’s behalf.
The case continues to be a complex legal battle for Galindo as he seeks to challenge the validity of his convictions and death sentence related to the U.S. Bank killings.