Witnesses testify against suspects accused of killing 2 men in SE Fresno back in 2014

A team of murder suspects were back in court Wednesday with two separate juries, hearing the cases against each of them.

Gustavo Duenas and Jorge Rodriguez are accused of a double murder that left two men dead right outside of Duenas' apartment--one of the victims was his father, and the other a man police officers believe was the target of a robbery.

It happened back in 2014 near Kings Canyon and Winery. Prosecutors say Duenas and Rodriguez were planning to go out and rob people, but it ended with Duenas' father Jose, and a man named Calvin Reese being gunned down.

"We seen something laying by a rock and somebody said it was another body so we looked over there that's when we see the older gentleman shot laying by a rock," said witness.



One witness says he ran outside after hearing multiple gunshots that night, then saw two men running away.

"He was walking back like this and then he turned and started running because I started to run after him but I was scared," said witness.

Like other witnesses who testified, he saw both bodies lying in the street and although he saw two men running from the scene, he says he could not see them well enough to give a clear description.

RELATED: Text messages could tie together two separate Fresno County murder cases

PROSECUTOR: "The two men you saw running from the scene could you tell what race they were?

WITNESS: To be honest no.

PROSECUTOR: Could you tell if they were light skinned or dark skinned?
WITNESS: Light.

Another man who took the stand was a 911 caller and saw one of the bodies as he was driving home with his brothers, the victim was still alive when he got there.

"Was the man saying anything as you were near him in the street? I think he was just saying he was cold," said witness.

Duenas denies involvement in both murders but text messages could prove otherwise. Those are expected to come out sometime during this trial which may for weeks.