Authorities: Beating death of Pocatello man videotaped by one of the accused murderers
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POCATELLO — One of the brothers arrested for allegedly murdering a Pocatello man videotaped the beating death, authorities said Monday.
The confirmation came after people commented on social media that the Saturday morning murder of Nathan Tad Richardson, 30, of Pocatello, was videotaped via cell phone by one of the suspects.
Police say that brothers Anthony Moreno, 23, and Gabriel Moreno, 25, both of Pocatello, murdered Richardson during a physical altercation in an alley near Old Town. Authorities are not yet saying which of the two brothers videotaped the murder but that video has been confiscated as evidence in the murder case.
The Moreno brothers had their initial court appearance at the Bannock County Courthouse on Monday. About 30 family and friends of the man they’re accused of murdering were in attendance and applauded when bond was set at $1 million each for the brothers.
The Moreno brothers were arrested on homicide charges Saturday morning after police on foot patrol came across a severely beaten Richardson in the alley between the 500 blocks of East Center and East Clark streets.
Officers administered CPR on Richardson and Fire Department paramedics continued trying to save his life when they arrived on the scene, but he later died at Portneuf Medical Center.
The Moreno brothers have both been charged with second-degree murder for Richardson’s death and are each facing 10 years to life in prison if convicted. They’re both being held at the Bannock County Jail.
Authorities said Pocatello police were on foot patrol around 2:30 a.m. Saturday when they came across the crime scene in the alley — with a severely injured Richardson on the ground and the Moreno brothers nearby. Officers took the Moreno brothers into custody and began the effort to save Richardson’s life.
Richardson was transported via ambulance to Portneuf Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead later Saturday morning.
The Bannock County Coroner’s Office said Monday that an autopsy revealed Richardson died as a result of blunt force trauma to his head.
This story originally appeared in the Idaho State Journal. It is posted here with permission.