Vasquez

ST. PAUL — The Minnesota Supreme Court recently dismissed a new trial request for a 30-year-old Springfield man convicted of the 2014 murder of his ex-girlfriend in Brown County.

Miguel Vasquez was convicted last year of first and second-degree murder in the killing and dismemberment of Amber Lechuga, 23. Her body was found burned in a minivan near the Cottonwood River access south of Sleepy Eye in September 2014. Her head had two bullet wounds, which caused her death, according to a medical examiner.

Vasquez told authorities he was driving the van when an unknown driver rear-ended and assaulted him and Lechuga. Vasquez said he was knocked out and the van was burning when he woke up.

After a bench trial, Vasquez was found guilty of the premeditated murder of Lechuga. A doctor who treated him testified that his burn injuries were not consistent with his story of waking up in a burning van.

Vasquez’ appeal argued that prosecutors should not have been able to use his medical records or doctor’s testimony because medical data is private. In addition, Vasquez’ appeal argued that the district court committed a reversible error when it admitted into evidence testimony from his treating physicians and a burn expert.

Physicians testified they found only first and second-degree burns on Vasquez, plus singed hair and the smell of gasoline on his person–injuries consistent with a flash burn and inconsistent with the account Vasquez gave police.

In addition, physicians testified to the absence of a head injury and smoke inhalation injuries, the latter of which would be expected if Vasquez was unconscious in a fire. A burn expert testified that Vasquez’ injuries were not consistent with the account he gave police.

The court found that the evidence established that Vasquez’ “story of being rear-ended by another vehicle was demonstrably false.”

Prior to the trial, a judge approved the doctor’s testimony because Vasquez signed a records release to law enforcement while he was in the hospital. Since no objection was made when the issue was raised before trial, Supreme Court justices ruled June 6 that Vasquez can’t appeal on those grounds now.

In addition, Supreme Court justices stated in their analysis that medical evidence Vasquez challenged did not substantially influence the verdict.

“Moreover, the challenged evidence was a small part of the State’s case, and the other evidence that Vasquez murdered Lechuga in their apartment, dismembered her body and then attempted to destroy the evidence is strong,” read the analysis.

Physical evidence police found in the apartment Vasquez shared with Lechuga tied him to the murder and the disposal of the body in the van. Vasquez’ DNA and Lechuga’s blood were found on the murder weapon, the Marlin rifle, according to the analysis.