An Arizona rancher accused of shooting and killing a migrant on January 30 will remain jailed on $1 million bail for at least another two weeks before a preliminary hearing scheduled for February 22.
George Alan Kelly, 73, faces a first-degree murder charge in the death of Gabriel Cuen-Butimea, 48, who was identified by a Mexican voter ID he was carrying.
His court-appointed attorney requested that the preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for Wednesday, be postponed due to the “quite voluminous” disclosure of the case that “will take significant time to review.”
Authorities have not said anything about the circumstances of the shooting.
Santa Cruz County Deputy Sheriff Gerardo Castillo told Nogales International that authorities were called to Kelly’s ranch in Kino Springs on a report of gunshots and found a deceased Hispanic man approximately 100 to 150 yards from the Kelly’s house.
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Two assault-style rifles were removed from the scene. It did not appear that Kelly and Cuen-Butimea knew each other, according to the local news outlet.
Kino Springs is approximately 10 miles east of Nogales, Arizona, and approximately 1.5 miles north of the US-Mexico border.
The US-Mexico border fence extends into the countryside near Nogales, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Federal court records show that Cuen-Butimea had a history of illegal border crossings, most recently in 2016, according to the Daily Mail.
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Kelly appeared in court on February 2, dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffed. She asked for reading glasses and asked how he could talk to his wife.
“My wife is present in court. Can I ask you to make an appointment for an audiovisual conference? I haven’t been able to speak to her or anyone,” Kelly said on February 2.
Emilio Velásquez, justice of the peace in Santa Cruz County, explained that he would have to make an appointment through the sheriff’s office.
This photo provided by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office in Nogales, Arizona shows rancher George Alan Kelly, 73, who is being held on $1 million bail in the fatal shooting of a man last week. tentatively identified as a Mexican migrant. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
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Kelly’s court-appointed attorney did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
She wrote in a filing Wednesday that Kelly “does not qualify for court-appointed counsel and is in the process of securing counsel to represent him.”
