The narrator depicts the trial, "The lawyer stood by the thesis of homicide in legitimate defense of honor, which was upheld by the court in good faith- (Garcia Marquez 55). The lawyer argued that the Vicario brothers killed Santiago in order to regain the family honor and the court accepted this defense as a valid argument. Garcia Marquez comments that honor leads to a confusion of values within society because society considers honor a legitimate defense for murder. Not only is honor important in the court system but in religion as well. The narrator continues, "They surrendered to their church a few minutes after the crime they laid the knives, with clean blades, on Father Amador's desk. Both were exhausted from the barbarous work of death but the priest recalled the surrender as an act of great dignity- (Garcia Marquez 55). Following the murder, the Vicario brother's immediately went to the church in an attempt to gain forgiveness for their crime. Their clean blades' portray the murder as being completely excusable in this society because they were regaining their family's honor. Pedro Vicario told the priest, " We killed him openly but we're innocent'- (Garcia Marquez 55). The priest responded, " Perhaps before God'- (Garcia Marquez 56), and Pablo responded, " Before God and before men it was a matter of honor'- (Garcia Marquez 56). The men honestly believe that honor is a valid reason to kill Santiago as did the rest of town who, "The Vicario brothers had told their plans to more than a dozen people who had gone to buy milk, and these had spread the news everywhere before six o'clock- (Garcia Marquez 66). Everyone knew about the inevitable murder but didn't try to help Santiago or at least warn him of his impending doom. Instead, the people believed that it was a matter of honor and Santiago's murder was a fit punishment for his crime which portrays society s confusion of values.