Fabio Gomez was sentenced to death by the State of Arizona for the beating death of a woman. According to court documents police received a 911 call of two people in a violent argument. When police arrived no one answered the door. Later that night a missing person report was filed for Joan Morana, a college student. Fabio Gomez was seen by police moving objects out of his home at 4:00am. When asked why he was performing this activity at such an odd hour Gomez responded he had babysat his son all day. Later police would find some of the objects Gomez disposed of had blood stains on them. When they went to Fabio Gomez apartment they saw blood stains on his carpet. A further search of his apartment would reveal more blood stains. The body of Joan Morana would be found in a nearby dumpster. Fabio Gomez was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. Fabio Gomez would also be convicted of a kidnapping and sexual assault of another woman
Fabio Gomez 2021 Information
ASPC Eyman, Browning Unit
PO Box 3400
FABIO E. GOMEZ 177075
Florence, AZ 85132
United States
Fabio Gomez More News
On December 2, 1999 the Chandler Police Department received a report of a man beating a woman. The beating appeared to be taking place in an apartment at the caller’s apartment complex. Officers responded but were unable to make contact with anyone at the location. Later the same day, police received a missing person’s report of a Joan Morane who resided at the same complex. During the investigation police determined that Fabio Gomez lived in a nearby apartment and was acquainted with Joan Morane’s. At approximately 4:00 a.m. officers contacted Gomez outside his apartment carrying a deflated air mattress. Gomez told the officers that he and his girlfriend were moving and that he was putting some of their belongings into their car. When questioned about packing at that unusual hour, Gomez stated he had to watch their son during the day time. At approximately 5:30 a.m. officers observed what appeared to be blood on the edge of the air mattress and a red stain in a nearby trash dumpster. When officers re-contacted Gomez at his apartment, they observed what appeared to be blood stains on the carpet. During the search of the apartment investigators found more blood stains in the living and dining room areas. The hallway and bathroom vanity area had numerous blood stains on the floor, walls and door. Police also found a metal dumbbell weight with red stains consistent with blood. Police later found Joan Morane’s body in a trash dumpster near her front door.
Fabio Gomez Other News
A 34-year-old Chandler man sentenced to death Thursday for killing an Arizona State University student called the verdict “disgusting.”
“Your honor, on behalf of my family in the Dominican Republic, the friends I have here and all of the people in Arizona, I consider this sentence inappropriate,” Fabio Gomez said.
In addition, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge James Keppel ordered Gomez to serve a consecutive 21-year sentence for the kidnapping and rape of Joanne Morane, a 36-year-old liberal arts student.
Gomez was convicted of first-degree murder in March 2001 in the 1999 rape and beating death.
His sentencing was delayed, in part, because the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that juries — not judges — must render the sentence in death penalty cases.
Gomez raised eyebrows when he chose to represent himself against the advice of his court-appointed attorneys and subpoenaed two Arizona Diamondbacks players to testify on his behalf.
Gomez, who played minor league baseball with Craig Counsell and Quinton McCracken, rested his case without calling them to the stand, however.
In an often rambling statement, Gomez said he was never read his Miranda rights, detectives failed to fully investigate the case and his speedy trial rights were violated.
“This is how you do justice in Arizona?” Gomez asked. “The case was not properly investigated. It’s disgusting. . . . They play games, but who cares? This is about Fabio Gomez.”
Stephen Johnson, who served as Gomez’s advisory counsel, called the verdict just, noting it would have been easy for the jury to sentence Gomez to death without deliberating at all.
Instead, he said, they took their duty seriously and deliberated more than two hours.
“I was happy with the process,” Johnson said.
In a brief statement following the verdict, Morane’s former husband, Jay Morane, said the jury’s decision doesn’t bring her back.
“It’s been three and a half years. I’m just glad it’s over,” Morane said, crying.
Chandler police found Morane’s body in an apartment complex trash bin in the 1200 block of West Parklane Boulevard.
She had been hit at least 18 times in the head with a 10-pound dumbbell.
A police officer who responded to the complex saw Gomez carrying a yellow raft to his car and later noticed it had blood on it.
When the officer went to Gomez’s apartment, he saw what appeared to be a bloodstain on the carpet.
Gomez initially said his girlfriend had cut her foot, then said that he had killed a stray cat with a baseball bat.