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Thursday wasn't easy for Emilio and Marvin Morales, who sat in Norwalk Superior Court as marshals brought in the alleged killers of Jose Joaquin Morales, Emilio's brother and Marvin's cousin.
Alain Leconte, 22, and Mustafa Jacobs, 24, both formerly of Stamford, were charged with felony murder and first-degree robbery. Bond was $3 million for Leconte, $1 million for Jacobs.
Emilio, Jose's 25-year-old brother, and Marvin, a 38-year-old cousin, traveled from Stratford to attend the hearing. Emilio does not speak English and said through his attorney, Ingemar Heredia, that he faced the men with "extreme sadness," clutching his chest expressively as he talked. He was glad to see them arraigned.
Marvin said that he was sweating, both before he walked in and while he was in the courtroom, looking the alleged assailants in the eye. "You see someone do something like that outside, you think that maybe you're going to see them outside again," he said, expressing fear that perhaps the men would be free someday.
Heredia said they will be in court again to see the men. "They understand it's going to be a long haul, probably," he said. "But they've been hopeful and patient so far, and I don't see that changing at all. They understand. I explained to them it's going to take some time. But they'll be there every day and every time there's a court proceeding. They'll be there."
That isn't because they are vengeful.
"He sees that it's in the hands of the court system now and justice will be served that way," Marvin said of Leconte. "I would tell him to talk to his heart and think more on God. Even if he is inside, he is locked up, think more on God. And try to pray, not do more bad things."
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