SHAWNA FORDE | Woman On Death Row | Minutemen American Defense (MAD) | Murders of Raul and Brisenia Flores | ALS

Shawna Forde. Autographed Letter, Signed. Handwritten, Commercial #10 (4.125 × 9.5 envelope). Phoenix, AZ. Pmk: October 18, 2023. Content unknown. SEALED.

On May 30, 2009, 29-year-old Raul Flores Jr. and his daughter, nine-year-old Brisenia Ylianna Flores, were murdered during a home invasion in Arivaca, Arizona. The perpetrators were Shawna Forde, Jason Eugene Bush and Albert Gaxiola, all members of Forde's vigilante nativist group, Minutemen American Defense (MAD). Gina Gonzalez, the victims' wife and mother, was wounded but survived the attack after exchanging gunfire with the intruders, wounding Bush.

In 2011, all three assailants were convicted of murder. Forde and Bush were sentenced to death, while Gaxiola was sentenced to life in prison without parole.ⁱ

Girl, 9, and father shot dead by 'anti-immigrant vigilantes' as she begged for life

A nine-year-old girl begged for her life before being shot dead along with her father by an anti-immigrant vigilante group, a court heard.

Brisenia Flores was gunned down at point-blank range in her own home in Flores, Arizona, as her terrified mother Gina Gonzalez, who had also been hit, played dead on the floor.

She sobbed as the court was told how she had heard Brisenia's desperate pleas as her killer stood over her.

'I can hear it happening,' Mrs Flores told the court describing how her daughter said: 'Why did you shoot my dad? Why did you shoot my mum?'

'I can hear her telling him to "please don't shoot me."'

The prosecution alleges that the child and her father Raul Flores Jr were murdered in May 30, 2009 by a group of vigilantes set up to tackle Mexican immigrants.

The shootings took place 200 miles from Tucson, the scene of the gun massacre earlier this month in which another nine-year-old girl died.

Shawna Forde, the head of the Minutemen American Defense group, is on trial accused of two charges of first degree murder.

She is allegedly orchestrated the attack on the Flores family with two male accomplices, due to face face court in March.

Police claim that Forde believed Mr Flores was a drug trafficker and would have cash and goods in the house which they could use to fund their patrols.

She reportedly led the raid and gave instructions to the male accomplices.

Mrs Gonzalez told the court that her husband woke her up just before 1 am on May 30 and said that the police were at the door.

The couple went to the front room—where Brisenia had spent the night on the sofa to be near her new dog—and spotted two people outside.

Both were in camouflage. Mrs Gonzalez said one was a heavy-set woman while the other was a man whose face was blackened with greasepaint. He was armed with a rifle and pistol.

The mother-of-one told the court the pair had demanded to be let in, claiming the family were harboring a fugitive.

They then burst into the house. The man told Mr Flores: 'Don't take this personal, but this bullet has your name on it.'

He then opened fire, hitting Mrs Gonzalez in the shoulder and leg.

Her husband was hit multiple times before the gunman turned to her daughter.

She described hearing the murderer reload his weapon as he ignored Brisenia's pleas for mercy and then open fire.

The gunman and his accomplice left but as Mrs Gonzalez called 911, she heard him returning.

Desperately wounded, she dragged herself through the house to find her husband's gun and exchanged fire with her assailant, who police say is Jason Bush.

He was injured and fled the scene.

Forde was arrested shortly after the shooting. She had Mrs Gonzalez's wedding ring and other jewelry, according to police.

Investigators said that she was originally a member of the anti-illegal immigrant Minuteman Project but left to form a more extreme breakaway group.

Members claim that it is their civil duty to protect the Mexican border with weapons as the authorities are unable to do so.

Forde allegedly funded her by group by robbing the houses of suspected drug dealers. When she reportedly proposed one such raid to two potential accomplices, they phoned the FBI—who did nothing because they believed the suggestion was too ludicrous to be true.

Prosecutor Kellie Johnson said: 'Not only will the state prove to you that Shawna Forde was in that house that night, barking orders and telling people what to do, the state will prove that Shawna Forde organized and planned this offense.'

Forde's lawyer Eric Larsen told the court that she was not at the house and that much of the evidence was circumstantial.

Forde denies murder. The trial continues. If convicted, she faces the death penalty.ⁱⁱ

On February 14, 2011, Forde was found guilty of all eight counts for which she was prosecuted: including two counts of the first-degree murder of Raul and Brisenia, one count of attempted first-degree murder of Gina Gonzalez, two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of burglary, armed robbery, and aggravated robbery. Forde's lawyer, Eric Larsen, had said that Forde was not in the house when Flores and his daughter were murdered, so she should not be found guilty. Prosecutors said Forde was with the two men who broke into the Flores' home, and Gonzalez testified she was there. Pima County Deputy County Attorney Rick Unklesbay said, "She didn't put a gun to Brisenia's head ... but she was the one in charge. Because of that, you must hold her accountable."

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said that Forde planned and ordered the murder of Raul Flores. Although Gonzalez did not pick Forde out of a police lineup, police found Forde in possession of Gonzalez's jewelry, including her wedding ring, during a search after Forde's arrest. Police also presented text messages sent through Forde's phone and recorded conversations between Forde and the other suspects. The prosecutor said Forde had planned the crime for months in meetings out-of-state. "Even if she didn't pull the trigger … make no mistake about it. She's the one who planned the events. She's the one who recruited people to do this," Unklesbay said. On February 22, 2011, a Tucson jury convicted Forde of both murders and sentenced her to death. She is one of three women out of 116 inmates on Arizona's death row.ⁱⁱⁱ

VIDEO: DEATH ROW EXECUTIONS-Arizona-Shawna Forde | https://youtu.be/EjslLoyyGD8

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