DENVER—The trial has begun for a man who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the slaying and dismemberment of a 16-year-old girl.
Twenty-eight-year-old Edward Timothy “Tim” Romero faces charges that include first-degree murder in the October 2010 slaying of Alicia Martinez.
During opening statements Wednesday, prosecutors allege that Romero told a friend he wanted to make romantic advances on the teenager during a social gathering. Prosecutors allege that Romero then killed Martinez in a garage, placed her dismembered body in a plastic bag, and cleaned the crime scene with bleach.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Harry Cooper says Romero’s goal was to cut Martinez’s body into pieces small enough to flush down the toilet.
Defense attorney Arnie Beckman says Romero suffers from a mental illness and doesn’t remember the slaying.
