Newark — In his first public comments since getting arrested nearly four years ago, the oldest defendant in the Newark schoolyard killings case declared his innocence during a court appearance today, at which he rejected a plea offer that would lead to his eventual release. "I’m innocent and my conscience and hands are clear of all this," Jose Carranza said through a Spanish interpreter during the 30-minute proceeding in Newark. Carranza, 32, is the only defendant of the six charged who never gave police a statement after his arrest in the Aug. 4, 2007, execution-style killings of three college-age friends and the wounding of a fourth. Despite his silence, prosecutors believe they have a strong case because Carranza’s fingerprints were lifted from a beer bottle found at the scene, and the surviving victim has identified him as one of the attackers. Carranza, who prosecutors have described as a "menacing presence" during the attack behind the Mount Vernon School, an...