Fifth and Final Defendant in Zane Goldstein Murder Pleads Guilty Monday

The fifth and final defendant in the 2013 murder in Pasadena of 21-year-old Zane Goldstein pleaded guilty to second degree murder Monday just before his trial was due to begin.

Ward Lacey IV, of Pasadena, will be sentenced this Thursday, July 30th to 15 years to life in prison.

The other four defendants in the killing have all been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

“We are hopeful the five convictions will help gain some closure to the Goldstein parents who lost a young son and the second victim who lost his brother and friend,” said Lt. Tracey Ibarra on behalf of the Pasadena Police Department.

Goldstein was shot in the forehead on January 15, 2013 after he and his brother had arranged to to meet one of the suspects to sell a small amount of marijuana.

The defendants attempted to rob the Goldsteins and shot Zane in the head with a shotgun as he drove away with his brother from the scene near Maple Street and Chester Avenue, the prosecutor said.

Zane succumbed to his gunshot wound two days after the incident. His brother was also injured and survived.

The subsequent investigation by Pasadena Homicide and Robbery detectives led to the identification and arrests of suspects Raymond Conchas, Peter Parra, Kevin Cabrera, John Piepoli, and Ward Lacey. All of these suspects were arrested at different times within two weeks of the murder.

In October of 2014, defendant John Piepoli was tried in the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse in Downtown Los Angeles. After a three day trial, a jury convicted him.  He has already been sentenced to “life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

On February 2nd, 2015, defendants Raymond Conchas, Peter Parra, and Kevin Cabrera were tried in the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse in Los Angeles. After a long, three week trial, on February 20 a jury convicted all three defendants. Each was convicted of one count of first-degree murder, attempted second-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime.

A jury agreed with a special circumstances allegation that the murder was committed during a robbery, that a shotgun was used and that the crime was for the benefit of a gang.

Conchas, Parra, and Cabrera also face  “life in prison without the possibility of parole.”

“This was an extremely large and difficult case, that involved the assistance of many people throughout the Pasadena Police Department,” Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez said. “The Homicide and Robbery units spent weeks and 100’s of hours working on this case. The professionalism and experience shown by those that testified in one or both trials thus far was truly impressive, and showcased the talent of the men and women of the Pasadena Police Department.”