'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAIBAAAQQBBAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgABAwQRBQYSIjFT0v/EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT/xAAaEQACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBCEx/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDFq+0rIabNWKKgc5yCbWHM+YM2ci3XGHVANs6hxbtW8e4vhESL64riEY70f//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
48 Hours covered the case of Sandra Orellana.
She died after falling from a hotel balcony in 1996. The police focused on the man she was with in Room 813, Robert Salazar. Many years later, the court charged Salazar with murder. 48 Hours also covered the trial.
The main question was simple: Did Orellana fall by accident because she was drunk, or did Salazar commit a crime? The way Salazar’s lawyers argued the case convinced the jury that Robert Salazar was not guilty.
48 Hours: Mystery in Room 813 - How Robert Salazar was proven innocent
The police’s idea and the weak spots
Robert Salazar was the only person who saw what happened. So after Orellana's death, blame naturally fell on him.
The prosecutors said Salazar purposely got Orellana drunk. They then claimed Salazar got angry when Orellana fought him off. The prosecutors believed Salazar pushed Sandra Orellana over the railing to make it look like an accident.
But the 48 Hours report showed that the police had no physical proof that a fight had happened. The lead investigator felt certain Salazar was guilty. He also told the court that Salazar ran away without calling for help. Running away looks bad, but it does not prove murder.
Why did the lawyers say it was an accident?
Salazar's lawyers worked hard to prove Orellana’s death was just a terrible accident. The defense lawyer said both Orellana and Salazar were very drunk that night. Orellana had four times the legal limit of alcohol in her blood.
Being that drunk made her actions very careless. The lawyer argued that she lost her balance and fell before Salazar could grab her.
The 48 Hours program pointed out the key evidence that helped Salazar. A scientist who checked the crime scene testified for the county. During questioning by Salazar’s lawyer, the scientist had to agree that nothing in Room 813 showed signs of struggle. This was a very important point for the defense. The defense also used science to back up their accident claim.
Forensic experts and Robert Salazar's defense
Forensics explained that Sandra Orellana's body landed so close to the building that Salazar could not have pushed her.
Robert Salazar spoke to the jury himself. He described how Orellana climbed onto the railing and then fell. He admitted he panicked and ran away without calling 911. Salazar expressed sadness and kept saying the death was only a tragic accident. 48 Hours noted that Salazar could not explain well why he called Orellana's room hours after she died.
The final verdict as shown in 48 Hours
Trending
The jury discussed the case for nine hours before landing on a verdict. 48 Hours team spoke with some of the jurors after the trial. The jurors said they did not fully believe everything Robert Salazar said. However, they agreed that the police failed to show enough proof to convict him of murder. The law says they must be certain of guilt to convict.
The jury found Robert Salazar not guilty. His wife, Beth, said she felt relief, but no happiness, because the event was a tragedy. The decision left Orellana’s family heartbroken. 48 Hours showed how a lack of solid proof, combined with a strong argument for an accident, resulted in the not guilty verdict.
Reply
