Camden man convicted - again - of killing girl

Jurors took less than two hours today to convict Miguel Figueroa of raping and killing a 13-year-old Camden girl in 1995.

Figueroa, 36, was convicted once before, in 2002, but the verdict was overturned on appeal. At trial this time, Figueroa served as his own attorney.

The victim, Shaline Seguinot, was stabbed to death after she had been raped. Her body was found in heavy brush behind a North Camden school several days after she was last seen riding a bicycle.

Figueroa fled Camden after the crime and was not arrested until 2000, while living in Florida under an assumed name.

He seemed to rely heavily on the transcript of his previous trial to deliver his opening statement and closing argument and to question witnesses. At times, he seemed to be reading verbatim.

"I guess it just goes to show you what a farce it was," said Assistant Camden County Prosecutor Greg Smith. "He had a perfectly good trial the first time with two excellent attorneys. . . . He came back a second time and tried to do what they did. It's ridiculous."

Seguinot's mother, Lourdes Vasquez, said she was relieved.

"I don't have to deal with this anymore," she said. "I can finally put this behind me and move on."