Mario Lara

Case identification

Mario Lara

Timeline

• July 16, 1981 — A Miami police officer was dispatched to meet Francisco Rizo at an apartment where Rizo had discovered the body of his girlfriend, Grisel Fumero.
• August 23, 1982 — Lara was sentenced to life in prison.

Background

Lara was awaiting trial on charges of robbery and voluntary and involuntary sexual battery at the time of the homicides. The trial was to have begun the week of the homicides.

The offence

Francisco Rizo discovered the body of his girlfriend, Grisel Fumero, in an apartment. Rizo let a police officer into the apartment and directed him to the kitchen where Fumero was lying face-down on the floor in a pool of blood. Fumero had been shot four times.

During the investigation, an upstairs tenant notified the police that there was another body in an upstairs bedroom. This body was identified as that of Lara’s girlfriend, Olga Elviro. Elviro had been bound and gagged and had been stabbed three times.

Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Elviro had also been raped.

Evidence presented at trial established that, at the time of the homicides, Lara was awaiting trial on charges of robbery and voluntary and involuntary sexual battery. The sexual battery victim was Fumero’s 13-year-old sister, and Fumero was expected to testify against Lara at trial.

There was evidence that Elviro had learned of the charges against Lara and had threatened to leave him. Further, on the day prior to the homicides, Lara had displayed two handguns and had threatened to kill Elviro and her sister-in-law, who had apparently told Elviro of the charges against Lara.

On the day of the homicides, Lara went to the upstairs apartment, woke Tomas Barcelo, and stated that he and Elviro needed to use the apartment. Barcelo left the apartment, went out into the yard, and about half an hour later saw Lara leave the apartment alone.

Lara next went to the downstairs apartment where he was admitted by Fumero. He went through the kitchen into his brother’s bedroom in the same apartment. Barcelo was in the kitchen at the request of Fumero.

Lara returned to the kitchen with his hands behind his back and told Fumero: “It’s your fault that I have lost everything.” He then pulled a gun from behind his back and shot Fumero in the stomach. Fumero said, “Mario, Mario, why are you doing that to me?” Lara replied, “Why am I doing that? Son of a bitch,” and continued firing until the gun was empty.

Lara continued to pull the trigger after the gun was empty. Lara’s brother, Arsenio Lara, was in the room at this time, and both Arsenio Lara and Barcelo told Lara he was a murderer. Lara retorted, “Oh, I’m a murderer,” and, while laughing, started to reload the gun.

Arsenio Lara and Barcelo, believing they would also be killed, ran out of the apartment.

Investigation

A handgun found on the premises was determined to have been the weapon that fired at least one of the bullets into Fumero. The police also recovered a serrated knife, which was tentatively identified as the weapon used to stab Elviro.

Trial

Lara’s trial involved evidence that:

• Fumero was shot four times.
• Elviro was bound and gagged and stabbed three times.
• Elviro was raped.
• Lara was awaiting trial on charges of robbery and voluntary and involuntary sexual battery.
• Fumero was expected to testify at Lara’s upcoming trial.
• Elviro had learned of the charges against Lara and had threatened to leave him.
• On the day prior to the homicides, Lara displayed two handguns and threatened to kill Elviro and her sister-in-law.
• On the day of the homicides, Lara moved from the upstairs apartment to the downstairs apartment, shot Fumero, and continued to fire after the gun was empty, then laughed while starting to reload the gun.

Sentencing

Lara was condemned on one count and sentenced to life with a 25-year minimum on a second count in 1982.

On August 23, 1982, Lara was sentenced to life in prison.

Outcome

Lara was sentenced on August 23, 1982.

Other details

Furnero’s 13-year-old sister was identified as the victim of the sexual battery charge on which Lara was awaiting trial. Lara’s sentencing and disposition are described alongside references to “Florida Supreme Court opinion 73888” and “opinion 79849.”