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Trial begins in the case of the man who allegedly killed Claudia Lucero in 2013

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Opening arguments were scheduled to begin Thursday in the trial of a man accused of raping and killing a 14-year-old Mesa girl more than a decade ago.

Alex Madrid, 42, was arrested on December 6, 2013, hours after Claudia Lucero's body was found in a dumpster two miles from her home.

He is charged with first-degree murder, sexual abuse of a minor and smuggling of corpses. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

Claudia had been reported as a runaway the evening before by her mother Joann Lucero, a former girlfriend of Madrid.

The teenager's body showed signs of being strangled and sexually abused, the coroner said.

According to the police report, the sperm found on Claudia matched a DNA sample from Madrid.

Police reported that Claudia's friends told them she claimed Madrid had sexually abused her.

Part of Madrid's defense focused on his mental state. Doctors and experts from both the prosecution and the defense examined him.

Some classified him as someone who showed signs of antisocial personality disorder – a condition that causes people to disregard and violate the rights of others – and who also exhibited psychopathic personality traits, court records show.

Madrid filed a 26-page request for life imprisonment in 2019, but prosecutors rejected the offer, court records show.

A trial had been scheduled for November 2019, but Madrid changed lawyers, which postponed the trial date.

The current trial schedule spans several months, according to the Maricopa County Superior Court calendar.

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You can reach the reporter at [email protected].

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