Web Posted: 07/17/2008 4:31 GMT

By Elizabeth Allen
San Antonio Express-News

On the eve of his capital murder trial, Jose Najera struck a deal for 50 years in prison for the murders of Taco Land owner Ramiro "Ram" Ayala and Douglas Morgan, who worked at the venerable bar.

The state had been seeking the death penalty against Najera, 32, who was accused along with Joseph Gamboa of robbing Taco Land and killing Ayala, 72, and Morgan, 53, and wounding bartender Denise Koger in a robbery on June 23, 2005. Jury selection was supposed to start Friday.

"I'm glad he's man enough to admit what he did," said Koger, reached by telephone at her home after District Judge Bert Richardson sentenced Najera.

While prosecutors alleged Najera took part in the deadly robbery, he was not the triggerman. Gamboa, 25, was convicted of being the shooter and sentenced to death last year.

Read the entire article HERE [1].