The Making of a Not Guilty Verdict

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Shortly before 2:00 p.m. the jury empaneled in the case against 48-year-old Roberto Arambula retired to deliberate on the verdict. By 3:15 p.m. the jury was back in the courtroom with a surprising decision.

After countless hours of testimony and evidence, the jury found the defendant not guilty. In this case, a verdict of not guilty means the prosecution did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Arambula did not act in self-defense when he fatally stabbed 26-year-old Rhyheme Talton in January of 2020.

The 12 person jury was made up of seven women and five men. The jury appeared to be made up of caucasian or hispanic individuals.

The last day of the trial kicked off with the defense questioning three witnesses: the lead agent in the case, a witness who was inside the store that day, and a police officer who had arrested the victim back in 2019.

One of the more surprising testimonies of the day was that of a witness who came forward just a few days ago. According to the woman, she had been in the Stripes with her daughter when she saw the altercation unfold. 

During her testimony, the witness stated she decided to reach out to police after reading a San Angelo LIVE! article and believing it was her duty to tell the jury what she saw and heard.

The woman explained she had known Rhyheme for years and was not surprised to see him act in an agitated manner when he initially entered the store.

She described his demeanor as being loud and aggressive towards the cashier before turning his attention to Arambula. During her testimony, she detailed hearing Arambula repeatedly tell the victim to leave him alone.

The woman explained the jury needed to know what she heard unfold that night.

'"How could they not hear Mr. Robert say leave me alone so many times," she testified.

She went on to explain she had never met Arambula before and had been apprehensive to come forward. According to her, she could face backlash from her own family and friends who also knew Rhyheme.

 During direct examination from the defense, she stated she had expected SAPD to reach out to her after the incident occurred but that never happened.

The woman identified herself and her daughter in the security footage that had been presented to the jury. She was also the individual who told Jasmine Sanchez that the victim was involved in an altercation.

During the first days of the trial, the defense attorney had repeatedly questioned the identity of the two women, inferring they could have been associated with the victim and a potential threat to his client.

Soon after the defense rested and the guilt / innocence portion of the trial began.

After Judge Ben Woodward read the official charge to the jury and detailed the legal arguments and statutes, both sides began presenting their closing arguments.

District Attorney Allison Palmer briefly spoke to the jury to explain how this portion of the trial worked and provide a simple summary of the state's case.

Palmer stated Arambula had "intentionally killed" the victim and had admitted it on the stand. She reminded them their focus was to determine if Roberto Arambula was justified in using deadly force.

She conceded that while the audio and video footage presented to the jury was not perfect, she was glad they had it -- especially since witness statements and recollections varied after so many months.

"This decision is yours, this is your call," said Palmer.

As the defense attorney Thomas Jackson kicked off his argument, he told the jury that his client had "always stuck to his convictions." He indicated that since Day 1 Arambula had explained it was self-defense.

As he did multiple times throughout the trial, Jackson once again questioned the thoroughness of the SAPD investigation.

"I don't think they are hiding evidence," he explained. "But I do think they could have done better."

According to Jackson, the blurry video and dozens of photographs presented by the state did not provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt. He also questioned why the state had opted to not question any of the people who were inside the store when the stabbing occurred.

He also questioned why Marco Portillo had not been presented as a witness for the state, considering he had been with the victim before, during, and after the incident.

Jackson praised his client for taking the stand and facing an experienced prosecutor like D.A. Palmer who questioned every detail provided by Arambula. According to him, his client had been fighting for his life "since day one."

"He did what he had to do and he's not proud of it," concluded Jackson. "This is self-defense to a T. If this isn't, then I don't know what is."

When it was time for the prosecution to speak, the district attorney pushed back on some of the claims made by the defense. She clarified the state opted to not call people who had laughed after the incident to testify.

There were "disturbing reactions by all those people in the store."

Palmer's central argument focused on showcasing that Arambula had not been justified in using deadly force. She reminded the jury all witnesses had confirmed Talton had not been armed and that Arambula had appeared to laugh when discussing the incident during a jail call.

Once again, she showed the jury multiple pictures that showed when the victim had approached the defendant. She argued Arambula had the chance to run in the opposite direction to the door but had made the decision to kill Talton after the initial stab.

Palmer also questioned Arambula's testimony where he claimed to be scared for his life as he left the store. She argued he had enough time to stop, point at the victim, and say something as the security footage showed.

While on the stand on Wednesday Arambula testified he had said the following words to Talton as he left the store:  "I told you b**** a** n****. I told your b**** ass."

Palmer closed her argument asking the jury to consider if the force used by Arambula had been truly justified if the victim had not been armed with a deadly weapon. She reminded them they could consider flight as evidence of guilt.

"Roberto Arambula said he wanted to put Rhyheme Talton in his place. Everything he did is nothing short of murder," said Palmer. "You get to decide if Roberto Arambula gets to decide who lives and who dies."

Day #1: Prosecutor Presents Damning Evidence Against Stripes Stabbing Murder Defendant

Day #2: Jury Sees Graphic Evidence in Day Two of Murder Trial

Day #3: Murder Defendant Takes the Stand on Thursday