Bio 

George Molina Lopez was born on February 5, 1953. By 1989, he was living in Tucson, Arizona, with his girlfriend and their 1-year-old son, Anthony. In August 1989, Lopez lived with Anthony and the child’s mother in a Tucson apartment. On August 26, 1989, Anthony’s mother left the apartment to go shopping and left the child in Lopez’s care. When she returned, Anthony had visible bruises on his forehead and chin and was unusually quiet. Lopez claimed the child had pulled a nightstand over onto himself.

Anthony’s mother wanted to take him to a doctor, but Lopez persuaded her that the child would be all right. Later that day, she left again to go to a laundromat. When she returned, Lopez was performing CPR on Anthony. The child was taken to a hospital, where he died a short time later.

Murder Story

The fatal assault happened on August 26, 1989, in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona. At the time, George Molina Lopez was living with his girlfriend and their 1-year-old son, Anthony. Around 10:00 a.m., Anthony’s mother left the apartment to go shopping and left the child alone with Lopez.

When Anthony’s mother returned around noon, she noticed bruises on the child’s forehead and chin. Anthony was also unusually quiet. Lopez told her that the child had pulled a nightstand over onto himself. She wanted to seek medical care, but Lopez convinced her that Anthony did not need a doctor.

About two hours later, Anthony’s mother went to a laundromat. When she came back, Lopez was performing CPR on the child. Anthony was taken to a hospital, but he died shortly afterward.

The autopsy showed that Anthony had suffered extensive injuries. These included numerous bruises on his face, chest, and back; skull fractures on both sides of the back of his head; broken ribs; and a torn pancreas. The medical evidence showed that his injuries were not consistent with a simple accident involving a nightstand.

Lopez was charged with first-degree murder and child abuse. The child-abuse count was alleged as a dangerous crime against children. His trial began on April 3, 1990, before Judge Margaret M. Houghton in Pima County. Prosecutors were Sylvia Lafferty and Allen McVey.

On April 10, 1990, the jury found Lopez guilty of felony murder and child abuse. On May 17, 1990, the court sentenced him to death for the felony-murder conviction and 22 years in prison for child abuse. The aggravating factors found were that the murder was especially heinous, cruel, or depraved, and that the victim was under 15 years old.

Lopez appealed his conviction and sentence. The Arizona Supreme Court affirmed both in 1992, rejecting his claims of trial error and upholding the death sentence.

He later pursued federal habeas relief. In 2007, the Ninth Circuit reviewed whether the state sentencing court had failed to properly consider mitigating evidence. The federal appellate court rejected the claim and affirmed denial of relief.