They face mandatory lifetime prison sentences if convicted of the charge.
In addition to first-degree murder, they are charged with six counts of burglary, two counts of robbery, four counts of menacing and eight sentence enhancers.
They face two counts of first-degree murder even though only one person died: one stemming from the robbery and the other directly linked to the death of Samuel Xarius Gordon, 20, who was shot once in the abdomen.
All four are suspected of orchestrating a home invasion early May 24 to rob Gordon of his marijuana.
Kodi “Maz” E. Kuauhtli, 19, of Phoenix, and Kuauhtleko Garcia, 21, of Scottsdale, Arizona, were formally advised of the charges Thursday in 6th Judicial District Court. The two other suspects, Daniel Nelson Wright, 20, and Alvin Noel Flores, 22, both of Phoenix, are scheduled to be advised Thursday afternoon.
All four remain jailed on $500,000 bond.
Friends and family of both the victim and defendants crowded the courtroom for the routine court procedure.
District Judge Jeffrey Wilson oversaw Thursday’s advisement hearings, but the cases are expected to be transferred to District Judge William Herringer.
Defense lawyers have filed several motions that are common in high-profile murder cases, including one requesting that police be prohibited from commenting further about the case.
According to earlier interviews with police, Kuauhtli knew Gordon had a large amount of marijuana in his home at 253 Jenkins Ranch Road and arranged to have his friends from Arizona come help rob Gordon.
Three men armed with handguns entered the home about 3:30 a.m. with bandanas covering their faces. Five people inside the house, including Gordon, were taken hostage. They were held at gunpoint and some were bound with zip ties, according to police.
Something went wrong, and Gordon was shot in the abdomen, possibly while reaching for a flare gun, police said in a previous interview.
One of the men apparently waited outside to drive the getaway car. Police have not said who they suspect pulled the trigger or who stayed outside.
Someone from inside the house called 911 about 3:45 a.m. A police officer responding to the scene saw a gray sedan with Arizona plates leaving the area. He stopped the car, which had four occupants, including Kuauhtli at the wheel.
The men fled the house without the marijuana; police executed a search warrant and found 9.1 pounds of illegally processed marijuana and more than $20,000 in Gordon’s room.
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