GRAND HAVEN, MI (WHTC) – Anthony Delagarza says he was misled by his attorney when he agreed to plead guilty to a second-degree murder charge a year ago in the killing of Jose Hernandez in Park Township.
On Monday afternoon, the 20-year-old Delagarza was supposed to ask to withdraw his guilty plea before Ottawa County Circuit Judge Ed Post. However, the hearing was postponed to an unspecified date due to a family emergency involving Delagarza’s attorney.
Delagarza was sentenced to 20-to-40 years for the January 2014 killing. He says he was led to believe by his attorney, John Moritz, that prosecutors had evidence tying him to the Hernandez killing and that if he agreed to cooperate, he would have received a sentence of no more than 12 years. Prosecutors say Hernandez’s ex-girlfriend, Maryann Castorena, conspired with Delagarza to have Hernandez killed to collect more than 1-million dollars in life insurance money. Castorena is serving a life sentence with parole after being convicted of first-degree murder.
