Cristian Pity Álvarez trial: expert finds defendant lucid during killing

During a recent hearing in the trial of musician Cristian ‘Pity’ Álvarez, forensic experts testified that the defendant was lucid at the time of the 2018 killing of his neighbor, Cristian Maximiliano Díaz.

Esteban Toro Martínez, a professional from the Forensic Medical Corps, stated that he found no indicators of psychosis or impairment of judgment during his psychological evaluation. While acknowledging that Álvarez suffers from substance use disorder and impulse control issues, Martínez clarified that these factors did not constitute a psychotic episode during the incident.

The trial, held at the Oral Criminal and Correctional Court No. 29 in Buenos Aires, involves charges of simple homicide with eventual intent. The prosecution alleges that Álvarez shot Díaz four times in the head at the Cardenal Samoré housing complex in Villa Lugano. Following the shooting, the musician fled the scene and later surrendered to police.

Other witnesses included psychologist Adela Beatriz Ahuad and police officers Walter Guayta and Mariano González. The defense has filed a new unconstitutionality appeal to attempt to cancel the proceedings, following a previous rejection of a request to suspend the trial.