Steve Lieberman

slieberm@lohud.com

A Rockland judge Wednesday convicted Juan Perez-Coira of murder for the brutal Christmas Eve 2013 killing of Deborah Burns.

Judge James Hubert issued the verdict after a non-jury trial. Perez-Coira, 43, faces as much as 25 years to life in prison on the murder conviction. Hubert set sentencing for March 3.

Hubert found Perez-Coira guilty of two counts of second-degree murder, as well as first degree attempted criminal sexually act and first-degree attempted rape.

Prosecutor Dominic Crispino said at trial the pair had spent the evening together, hanging out, getting drunk and using cocaine before Perez-Coira brutally raped and sodomized Burns, who died from internal bleeding.

Burns, 55, who walked with a brace on her right leg, lived with a blind man whom she cared for at Lakeview Village.

Burns' sister, Kelli Barclay, and daughters cheered quietly Wednesday when Hubert announced his verdicts. Barclay had reacted emotionally throughout the proceeding to the judge's description of her sister's injuries, and left the courtroom in tears at the end.

"She was mutilated," she said later. "It's horrifying. He should be going away forever. Hopefully he will be dead" in prison.

Hubert said there was a lot of circumstantial evidence in the case but Perez-Coira's blood-soaked underwear and DNA were key factors in his decision.

He noted that Perez-Coira had denied touching Burns but later changed his story, admitting he helped her into the garage at 16 Lafayette Ave. where she was later found dead. The judge agreed with prosecutors that the high levels of alcohol and crack cocaine in her blood were enough to render her unconscious and made it unlikely she could consent to any sexual acts.

Defense lawyer James Crean had argued during his closing arguments in Rockland County Court that the Spring Valley police rushed to judgment by targeting Perez-Coira before ruling out other suspects. He called the prosecution's witnesses unreliable and said there were too many unknowns to determine what caused Burns' death.

On Wednesday, Crean said he had to abide by the judge's verdict and declined further comment.

Burns' three daughters – Keelin and Kelli Burns, and Danielle Entenmann – said they were pleased with the verdicts and that Perez-Coira would not be able to hurt anyone again.

"My mother gets her justice and can rest in peace," Kelli Burns said, adding. "I don't think I will ever be totally satisfied because our mother will never be with us."