Brian Sanchez Duarte (Gwinnett County Sheriff”s Office).

On Thursday, Brian Sanchez Duarte was convicted of malice murder and firearm possession during a crime. The conviction led to a life sentence for his role in the death of 22-year-old Alinton Joel Rivera-Zuniga. This information was disclosed in a press release by the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office and reported by several local media outlets.

The events unfolded in the early hours of November 27, 2022, at the Alta Gama event hall located in Norcross, near Atlanta. That morning, Rivera-Zuniga, along with another individual, was in a red SUV and offered Duarte a lift.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 27, 2022, the suspect, victim and another man were at the Alta Gama event hall in Norcross, near Atlanta. The victim and the other man were in a red SUV and offered a ride to Duarte.

Duarte hopped into the SUV but became concerned that Rivera-Zuniga was armed. To prove that he was unarmed and posed no threat, Rivera-Zuniga stripped down to his underwear. The other man testified that he stopped the SUV and Duarte exited and walked around to the rear passenger door and ordered Rivera-Zuniga out of the vehicle.

That’s when Duarte shot Rivera-Zuniga dead in an “execution-style” killing, according to prosecutors. The other man and Duarte drove away, leaving Rivera-Zuniga dead in the road.

htchThe jury deliberated for about two hours before rendering the guilty verdict.

“This was a senseless death,” District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson said in a statement. “This verdict and sentencing send a message that deadly violence is uncalled for. We hope the outcome of this case helps the victim’s family find solace.”