Quinata leaves a trail

The continuation of the Rudy Quinata trial started Monday with testimony from Maurice Powell, a witness for the prosecution.  Mr. Powell is married to Mr. Quinata’s niece, Gina Powell.  On April 3, 2021, Mr. Powell heard a “frantic” knock on the door at his home in Santa Rita and when he opened it, Rudy Quinata was there.  In the car, there was an unknown driver and Joyner Sked was in the backseat.  According to Mr. Powell, she looked surprised and stared in shock.

When asked about Ms. Sked, Mr. Powell said, “…”  Prosecutor Leonardo Rapadas asked Mr. Powell if Quinata and Sked ever had arguments.  Mr. Powell said, “….”   When Mr. Powell was staying in Umatac with his mother-in-law Dorothea Santiago, Quinata’s half-sister, Quinata would visit daily, half the time Sked was with him.

In cross-examination, defense attorney Peter Santos asked about Sked’s demeanor when they showed up at his doorstep on April 3, 2021.  Mr. Powell said, “…,” and that the look on her face translated to him as ‘help me.’

Quinata asked Powell to borrow some money because he had an emergency, but never said what the emergency was.  Quinata turned himself into the police on April 4, 2021.  When he was interviewed, Quinata said, “Joyner did it.”  No fingerprints were lifted from the hammer used in the murder because the surface was too grainy, according to Guam Police Department’s forensic science division’s Gilbert Mondia.

Daniel Sanchez was found murdered in Rudy Quinata’s home on April 3, 2021.  Sked was tried first and found guilty of his murder.  Trial for her boyfriend, Rudy Quinata will continue Tuesday at 9 a.m.