Rodriguez Leonel Prosper Weinum (34) was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday

Rodriguez Leonel Prosper Weinum (34) was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Friday. There was sufficient evidence according to the judge proving his involvement in the homicide of Antoine M. Whit (25) of France and M.A. Torres Cleman (21) of the Dominican Republic on December 9, 2012, closed to Son Latino nightclub on A.Th. Illidge Road.
At the January 10th hearing, Prosecutor Tineke Kamps had said that she was convinced that Weinum had been an accessory in the two murders. She had requested the 18 years sentence.
The Court found it proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Weinum had been among the group of people who had become involved in a fight with the late victims Whit and Torres Cleman outside the nightclub around 4:00am.
Judge Koos van de Ven, said that Weinum had been actively involved in the fight. Upon request of one of the main suspects, named “Primo,” he took a calibre .3 revolver from his rental car. Primo had fired at least four gunshots with this weapon. Two bullets hit Whit’s head and two other bullets ended up in his car.
The defendant then stepped into his rental car together with co-suspects Primo, “Papa/Bimbo” and S.G. and drove off, the Judge said. Shortly thereafter, the car stopped again. Primo then stepped out of the car to beat the other victim to death with the butt of the revolver. After that, the car drove off at high speed with Weinum still at the wheel. The Judge said these events were testimony to the fact that Weinum had been an accessory to these two murders.
Weinum had provided differing statements concerning his role that night. He told the Judge he had been sleeping in his car when the gunshots were fired and claimed he had been forced to drive the culprits from the crime scene under duress.
However, many witnesses stated that Weinum had been in the company of the perpetrators during the entire evening.
A number of witnesses had also testified that he had held a gun in his hand during the fight outside the nightclub. However, the Court did not consider it proven that Weinum had also used the weapon, for lack of evidence.
Weinum’s attorney Shaira Bommel had said there was insufficient evidence of her client’s involvement in the fights and had pleaded for his acquittal.