Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that a jury has found 33-year-old Luis E. Gonzalez of Buffalo guilty of one count of Manslaughter in the Second Degree (Class “C” felony) and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree (Class “A” misdemeanor). The defendant was found guilty on all counts in the indictment against him. The jury rendered their verdict yesterday afternoon after approximately one hour of deliberations following a three-day trial.

During the late evening hours of June 21, 2020, the defendant recklessly caused the death of 31-year-old Miguel Cordova by shooting the victim in the head while unloading a lever action rifle. The incident occurred inside the defendant’s bedroom at his home on Debra Lane in the City of Buffalo. The victim died at the scene.

Gonzalez faces a maximum of 15 years in prison when he is sentenced by Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case as a second felony offender on Friday, October 1, 2021 at 9:30 a.m.

DA Flynn commends Detectives Thomas Starkey, Scott Malec and Mark White of the Buffalo Police Department for their work in the investigation.  

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Cathleen M. Roemer of the Special Victims/Domestic Violence Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Denise A. Herman of the Justice Courts Bureau.