MIAMI (Court TV) — The trial is underway for a man accused of murdering a bicyclist out riding with a group and threatening a second man.
Kadel Piedrahita is charged with the murder of a bicyclist in Florida. (Miami-Dade Jail)
Kadel Piedrahita is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting death of Alexis Palencia and aggravated assault with a firearm for allegedly threatening Cesar Sosa during an incident on Aug. 14, 2019.
In court records reviewed by Court TV, investigators say that Piedrahita shot Palencia once in the stomach on the Rickenbacker Causeway before turning to Cesar Sosa, pointing the gun at him and yelling profanities. Sosa ran away from the scene and was not injured. Witnesses, who told police they knew Piedrahita through their cycling group, identified him as the killer.
Piedrahita was well-known to the cycling group, known as the “Don Pan Riders” because he often would ride beside them on his motorcycle to help protect them, the Key Biscayne Independent reported.
The confrontation was recorded, as Piedrahita had been live-streaming the ride before the deadly shooting.
Piedrahita has gone through a number of attorneys in the case, and despite one of the attorneys alluding to a “stand your ground” defense to local media, no motions identifying that as a defense strategy were ever filed. Piedrahita wrote a letter to the court claiming he acted in self-defense. The letter, obtained by the Key Biscayne Independent, said he was a prisoner of a “corrupt system” and a victim of “political and social manipulation of physical and circumstantial evidence. … I had to use my legal, registered gun to exercise my 2nd constitutional right to bear arms and protect my life.”
DAILY TRIAL UPDATES
DAY 6 – 9/13/24
- Jurors heard Kadel Piedrahita’s cross examination on Friday.
- The defense told the judge they want lesser included charges to be included.
- A six person jury will consider Piedrahita’s case.
DAY 5 – 9/12/24
- Defendant Kadel Piedrahita admitted to shooting Palencia but said he didn’t intend or plan the killing. Piedrahita testified he was afraid for his life and the life of his son.
DAY 4 – 9/11/24
- The jury heard testimony from an eyewitness and two investigators.
DAY 3 – 9/10/24
- Cesar Sosa continued his testimony.
- Sosa is the subject of Count 2, aggravated assault. Piedrahita allegedly pointed his gun at Sosa and threatened him after he allegedly shot Alex Palencia.
- The defense went through the video, almost frame by frame, to highlight where the players were when Alexis Palencia was shot.
DAY 2 – 9/9/24
- Two eyewitnesses took the stand, and the jury saw videos of the incident.
DAY 1 – 9/5/24
- The prosecution and defense delivered opening statements.
- Two officers who responded to the scene testified
