Shooter In Cornejo Case Will Not Have To Pay Civil Verdict

The killer of popular Falls Church City resident Steve Cornejo will not have to pay the nearly $2 million dollar wrongful death civil verdict awarded to the Cornejo family as the result of the controversial shooting death of their family member.   Last week a Fairfax County Bankruptcy Court discharged the civil verdict as debt which the killer does not have to pay.

Blueweeds has been posting on the Steve Cornejo case for more than a year.  You can see the background posts at Cornejo Background.

Steve Cornejo was a popular high school student who co-captained the George Mason High School soccer team to a state championship in the late 1990s.  More than forty members of the Cornejo family lived in the City during the 1990s.  The Cornejo family were active citizens, business owners, and involved in progressive outreach initiatives to Hispanic communities in Northern Virginia. 

In June 2005, Steve Cornejo was at a party in an apartment complex in Fairfax County. His killer was with a girlfriend in an apartment and heard a commotion.  The killer had been drinking earlier in the evening.  The killer, who was recently discharged from active duty in the military, concealed a gun he had purchased but registered in his girlfriend's name, and went to confront Steve Cornejo.  Two eyewitnesses, whose testimony was discounted by Fairfax investigators, said the killer was about 100 feet from Steve Cornejo when he started aggressively confronting the younger man.  The killer continued toward Steve Cornejo and was the aggressor in a physical altercation.  The killer took out his weapon, forced Steve Cornejo to his knees, and as Steve Cornejo pleaded for his life, asking twice "Why do you want to take my life?  Why do you want to take my life?" the killer shot the unarmed Steve Cornejo in the back. 

The killer then picked up the shell casing and returned to his girlfriend's apartment.  The killer tore up his bloody shirt and flushed it and the shell casing down the toilet.  The killer attempted to hide the gun.  The killer and his girlfriend did laundry as they watched from a balcony while paramedics attempted to save the life of Steve Cornejo.  When detectives knocked on the girlfriend's apartment door they denied knowing anything about the shooting.  It was only when the killer realized he had left personal belongs at the scene that he contacted an attorney and turned himself into detectives.    

After a short investigation, and following a controversial no charge decision in the Colosi case, Fairfax Commonwealth Attorney Bob Horan refused to indict the killer.  For only the third time in his forty year career Horan allowed a grand jury to consider criminal charges in a shooting without any recommendation from the prosecutor's office.  Based on the evidence presented by investigators, a grand jury issued a no bill in the shooting death.

The killer was subsequently reported to be intoxicated and involved in several altercations in Fairfax County ... at one of which he threatened to execute another person at a party, saying, "I have killed men for less."   

The Cornejo family brought a $1 million dollar wrongful death suit against the killer in Fairfax County.  They had claimed, among other things, the Fairfax investigators had not adequately interviewed the two eyewitnesses, who were Hispanic, in part because of a language barrier.  The Cornejo family attorney, who was Hispanic, presented the eyewitness testimony which had been discounted by the Fairfax investigators.  Largely based on their testimony, the civil jury sent a "message verdict" and awarded the Cornejo family nearly twice what it had asked for.

Bob Horan said he was "surprised" by the eyewitness testimony and publicly promised to re-look at the case.  Bob Horan left office without discussing the case or responding to numerous requests from the media and local elected officials for information.  The Steve Cornejo became a controversy in the the 2007 election of Ray Morrogh.  Under pressure from a Republican Challenger Patrick McDade, a Commonwealth Attorney from Arlington, Ray Morrogh (D) promised to re-look at the prosecutorial decision in the case if elected.

Falls Church City Mayor Robin Gardner has made numerous official and unofficial requests for information to Fairfax County officials on behalf of the Cornejo family.  Fairfax Supervisor, and current candidate for the 11th CD Democratic nominee nod, Gerry Connolly has never responded to, or even acknowledged, any request from the major or other Falls Church City officials.  Ray Morrogh reiterated his promise after his election last November, but six months later his office has had no contact with Falls Church officials or the Cornejo family.  See Dave McKenna article in the the City Paper at City Paper on Morrogh. 

I spoke with Steve Cornejo's aunt earlier today.  The family is upset by the the bankruptcy ruling, but they are absolutely devastated by the the lack of any communication from the Fairfax prosecutor's office either providing a status of the investigation or public explanation of the prosecutorial decision.

The killer of Steve Cornejo has never been charged with a crime.  In fact, he has never been arrested or even booked in connection with the incident.  With the bankruptcy court's discharging of the debt assigned by the verdict of the civil jury, the justice system in Virginia officially washes its hands of the matter and says the life of Steve Cornejo was worth nothing.