Trial of man charged with murder in 2016 drug deal gone wrong underway

Trial is underway in the 41st District Court Monday for the man charged with murder in a 2016 drug deal gone wrong.

Marcelo Mailland, one of two men involved, is charged with Capital Murder for the killing of 20-year old Christian Jorjorian.

El Paso police said Mailland and Marco Antonio Nava set up a “narcotics transaction” with Jorjorian on Aug. 15, 2016, on the 1000 block of Calle Parque Drive, near Franklin High School.

Mailland and Nava intended to steal drugs from Jorjorian, according to law enforcement.

A complaint affidavit obtained by ABC-7 states Nava had been texting Jorjorian minutes before the killing.

Nava told detectives Mailland shot Jorjorian when the armed robbery did not go as planned, according to court documents.

Several witnesses testified in court Monay, including a man playing basketball at a nearby park the night of the murder. The man told the jury he heard someone shout “I’m going to kill you.”

El Paso Police Officer Mark Gary also testified he brought in 49 recruits to help scour the area for a bullet casing.

Defense Attorney Mary Stallinger exhibited a photo of an envelope showing Jorjorian’s fingernails were submitted for drug testing. Several photos showing marijuana, liquid-filled syringes and mushrooms from Jorjorian’s home were also submitted as evidence.

On August 30, 2016, authorities in Tucson, Ariz. extradited Mailland to El Paso. He was held in Pima County jail on a $1 million bond.

Mailland tested positive for a controlled substance on June 6, 2017, court documents state.

Nava pleaded guilty to murder Dec. 4, 2017. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and will be eligible for supervised release in about 12 years.

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