Defense Says Salisbury Homicide Suspect Was High on Drugs

The trial of Jonathan Nunez, 21, of Allentown, charged with killing Kimberly Cardona, whose body was found July 5, 2012 along Lanze Lane in Salisbury Township, started Tuesday with the defense stating Nunez was high on drugs at the time, according to a report in The Morning Call.

Defense attorney Glennis Clark Jr. hopes to convince the jury that his client's condition at the time of the homicide spares Nunez a first-degree murder conviction, which carries a sentence of life in prison, according to a Lehigh Valley Live report.  

Clark hopes to get his client off with a third-degree murder conviction, according to the Lehigh Valley Live report.

Nunez admitted to police that he got into an argument with Cardona, 20, and cut her neck with a knife, according to police records.

According to the arrest affidavit, Nunez told police in an interview:

• He and Cardona drove to Lanze Lane on the evening of July 4, 2012 and parked the car. While there, he got into an argument with her. 
• He assaulted Cardona, then cut her neck with a knife.
• He drove his car from the area, but later returned and poured bleach on her body.

The affidavit did not indicate what triggered the argument between the two.

Cardona's body had been found by the evening of July 5, 2012 in the 2700 block of Lanze Lane. When police arrived, they saw her "badly beaten body," which was about 15 feet from the road, the affidavit said.

Also, according to the affidavit:

• Cardona had injuries to her head, face, neck, hands, legs and torso.
• A strong odor of bleach had emanated from the victim’s body, and detectives had noticed her clothing appeared to be discolored.
• Police found a pair of broken glasses on the road nearby and saw numerous broken branches in foliage surrounding her body.

An autopsy by the Lehigh County Coroner's office revealed Cordona died sometime after 7 p.m. July 4, 2012 of blunt and sharp trauma. According to the arrest affidavit, the wounds on her hands and arms were believed to have been "defensive wounds."