Jury deliberations got underway today in the trial of a Jurupa Valley man and his nephew accused of killing the man’s estranged wife, then framing her boyfriend for the murder, causing him to spend nearly two decades in prison.
Googie Rene Harris Sr., 67, and Joaquin L. Leal, 58, are charged with first-degree murder and special circumstance allegations of lying in wait and committing murder for financial gain in the 1998 slaying of 33-year-old Terry Cheek.
The prosecution and defense completed closing statements Wednesday afternoon, and Riverside County Superior Court Judge Bernard Schwartz directed jurors to return to the Riverside Hall of Justice on Thursday to commence weighing evidence in the monthlong trial.
Harris’ son, Googie Rene Harris Jr., 45, of Palm Desert pleaded guilty in February 2020 to being an accessory to murder. He’s free on bond and testified for the District Attorney’s Office. He’s set for sentencing on Sept. 26…