Guide to the case

Ever since the slashing deaths of three children May 27, 2004, in Northwest Baltimore, city residents have tried to make some sense of the brutal crime. But it has not been easy. The victims and the defendants, Policarpio Espinoza and Adan Canela, all are part of a large family of illegal Mexican immigrants who moved to Baltimore. Few of the family members speak English, and the relationships among the relatives are confusing.

June 30, 2006