A Dawson County District Court Jury has found 35-year-old Aristh Rodriguez-Linares guilty of the charge of Manslaughter in the January 21, 2025 shooting death of 40-year-old Mikayl Farinas-Carballo outside of Rodriguez-Linares’ home in Lexington. Rodriguez-Linares was originally charged with First Degree Murder but, instructions given to the Jury late Wednesday morning gave them the option of finding him guilty of the lesser charges of Second Degree Murder or Manslaughter or not guilty of those charges. The verdict was rendered by the Jury around 4:30pm Wednesday after the case was handed to them at 12:17pm Wednesday.
The Jury of ten men and two women also found Rodriguez-Linares Guilty of the charges of Use of a Weapon to Commit a Felony and Unlawful Discharge of a Weapon into an Occupied Vehicle. A pre-sentence investigation report by the District 9 Probation Office was ordered. Sentencing by District Judge Chawnta Durham was set for September 28, 2026 at 10:30am.
Prosecutors, Defense Clash in Closing Arguments of Rodriguez-Linares Murder Trial
Earlier on Wednesday Jurors heard sharply conflicting accounts as attorneys delivered closing arguments in the fatal shooting of Mikayl Farinas-Carballo.
Assistant Attorney General Sandra Allen argued the evidence proves Rodriguez-Linares intentionally and with premeditation killed Farinas-Carballo, telling jurors the defendant had multiple opportunities to call law enforcement rather than confront Farinas-Carballo. Allen said Rodriguez-Linares left the safety of his home, armed with a Glock 19 handgun, and fired 11 shots into Farinas-Carballo’s vehicle. Prosecutors pointed to testimony that Farinas-Carballo remained outside the residence for up to 40 minutes and argued the defendant made a deliberate decision to arm himself and go outside instead of contacting police. Allen also relied on testimony from a neighbor, who reported hearing someone say “record this” just before the gunfire, and said the statement supported the state’s theory that the shooting was intentional.
Allen repeatedly challenged Rodriguez-Linares’ claim of self-defense, citing testimony from shooting reconstruction expert Nebraska State Patrol Sgt. Dion Neumiller. Prosecutors said bullet trajectories, shell casing locations, vehicle damage, and other forensic evidence contradicted the defendant’s account that he fired all 11 rounds while seated on the ground after allegedly being struck by Farinas-Carballo’s vehicle. Allen also told jurors that only 39 seconds elapsed between Farinas-Carballo’s final message and the first gunshot, arguing the timeline did not support the sequence of events described by the defendant.
The state further questioned Rodriguez-Linares’ credibility, pointed to DNA evidence connected to narcotics found in Farinas-Carballo’s vehicle, and maintained the evidence established first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, and unlawful discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle beyond a reasonable doubt.
Defense attorney David Tarrell urged jurors to find Rodriguez-Linares not guilty, arguing his client acted in self-defense during a frightening and chaotic encounter. Tarrell contended Farinas-Carballo was unwelcome at the property, had repeatedly contacted Rodriguez-Linares before the confrontation, and was under the influence of drugs. The defense argued evidence showed Farinas-Carballo’s vehicle was in drive and moving forward, supporting Rodriguez-Linares’ belief that he faced the threat of serious bodily injury. Tarrell also challenged the state’s investigation, alleging confirmation bias by law enforcement and criticizing how evidence and witness interviews were handled. He argued prosecutors failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and reminded jurors that their role is to carefully scrutinize the government’s case before reaching a verdict.
The Jury deliberated about about 4 hours Wednesday afternoon before rendering their verdict.
