Marcelo Lucero's killer, Jeffrey Conroy, was convicted of manslaughter as a hate crime today in Suffolk County, NY. In these videos, Joselo Lucero describes what it has felt like for him and his family to live through the hearings and trials of the defendants charged with the hate-based killing of his brother.

Since the tragic killing of Marcelo Lucero, Not In Our Town has been following the community of Patchogue, NY as it deals with issues of race, immigration, hate and  intolerance. The upcoming feature documentary, Not In Our Town III, chronicles the efforts of Patchogue's diverse residents and leaders as they grapple with the aftereffects of the murder and begin to take action to make their community safe for everyone.

Now one chapter of this story has come to an end. Today marked the end of the trial of Jeffrey Conroy, one of the seven young men charged in connection to the killing of Marcelo Lucero, and the only one charged with murder. The jury found Conroy guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime, but acquitted him of the top charges of second-degree murder and second-degree murder as a hate crime. After his arrest the night of the killing, Conroy confessed to stabbing Lucero, though he later testified that defendant Christopher Overton had done it. Nicholas Hausch, one of the other assailants, testified against Conroy. Joselo's Journey follows Joselo Lucero in his ongoing quest for justice for his brother.

For Joselo, his mother, Rosario, and his sister, Isabel, this is not the end of their ordeal. Conroy will be sentenced next month, and Anthony Hartford and Christopher Overton have yet to stand trial. Your messages of support have meant a lot to the Lucero family, and we encourage you once more to leave messages of support in the comments section below.