BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – 2:18 p.m. – KSAT 12 News has discovered that jurors have reached a verdict in the capital murder trial of Christopher Preciado.
After practically two hours (one hour and 56 minutes) of deliberations, the jury discovered Preciado guilty of capital murder. He has been routinely been sentenced to life in jail with out the potential of parole.
The capital murder trial of a person accused of killing a younger couple and their unborn youngster is nearing the start of its finish on Thursday.
Christopher Preciado, who pleaded not guilty, is on trial for the Dec. 21, 2023, murders of Matthew Guerra, Savanah Soto and their unborn youngster.
Closing arguments ended simply after midday. Jurors started deliberations at roughly 12:20 p.m.
Judge Jennifer Pena, who’s presiding over the trial in Bexar County’s 290th Criminal District Court, started studying Preciado’s cost of the court docket simply after 10 a.m.
Closings arguments started simply earlier than 10:30 a.m. Ross Lewis, Bexar County co-prosecutor, started arguing on behalf of the state.
“Three deaths. $300,” Lewis advised the jury. “But here’s a note: you cannot rob someone in self-defense. The mugger doesn’t get to claim self-defense as they’re robbing you, and you’re putting up a fight. And they kill you.”
Lewis reminded the court docket of the state’s case constructed with 36 witnesses, together with testimony from San Antonio Police Department detective Jeremy Goodwin.
“That’s why you heard from so many witnesses,” Lewis concluded. “And then (SAPD) detective (Jeremy) Goodwin was able to bring it all in — and bring it all together — so that it is very, very clear: that Matthew (Guerra) and Savanah (Soto) had no idea what was waiting for them.”
Joseph Esparza, Preciado’s co-defense attorney, began the defense’s first closing argument.
“We don’t know what exactly happened in the vehicle that night, and that’s the truth of it,” Esparza advised jurors. “We have a reconstruction. We know what they (the state) want you to believe, but all of the state’s witnesses — including their experts — were unanimous. They don’t know and can’t tell you what happened in the vehicle that night, and that’s the core problem of this case.”
Esparza concluded his closing argument. His colleague, fellow co-defense attorney Monica Guerrero, started her closing argument.
“I wrote a list here,” Guerrero advised the court docket. “So, there is no eyewitness. There’s no one here that is an eyewitness to this case. No one. There’s no video. There’s never a video anywhere inside that vehicle. There’s no GoPro’s. There’s no hidden video anywhere that shows what happened.”
Guerrero additionally advised the jury there wasn’t gunshot residue or DNA proof introduced in court docket that linked Preciado to the capturing.
As her closing argument continued, Guerrero mentioned there was a “lot of bad parenting going on here.”
“He (Preciado) had a sweatshirt that says, ‘Virginity Rocks.’ It’s in the pictures,” Guerrero mentioned in court docket. “I can’t find it right now, but they (the state) showed it to you all. This is the kind of guy that they’re saying is a stone cold executioner, to use (Bexar County co-prosecutor) Ms. (Melissa) Alban’s word when she started this case. That these people were executed. They’re saying that guy (Preciado) is an executioner. She showed you pictures at the very beginning of Matthew (Guerra) holding a gun.”
Guerrero additionally argued in opposition to Soto’s line of considering for “going to a drug deal.”
“Does she (Soto) not watch TV?” Guerrero requested in court docket, in half. “Drug deals go bad. I mean, even in their apartment, he (Guerra) has a big poster of ‘Scarface.’ Even that little medal that he wears is a tribute of ‘Scarface.’ And, at the end of ‘Scarface,’ ‘Scarface’ is no longer around. So, it’s like ‘Scarface’ meets the ‘Queen of the South,’ and she (Soto) joins the family business, too.”
After Guerrero, Alban started the state’s closing closing argument.
Alban advised jurors that the prosecution “did not shy away from the fact” that Guerra was a drug seller.
“That doesn’t mean they deserved what happened to them,” Alban mentioned. “That does not justify the execution that this man (Preciado) perpetrated on them. It doesn’t.”
Alban additionally responded to Guerrero’s earlier argument a few lack of DNA proof in this case.
“So, no. We don’t have DNA because they (Alban gestured in the Preciados’ direction) destroyed it. That is a fact. He (Preciado) even stated that they ‘wiped it down.’ … What you see on TV and crime scene shows and true crime movies isn’t real. … So, there is no DNA result from the gun. It’s not that the DNA proved that it wasn’t Chris(topher) that touched it; it’s that there is no result. It was not analyzed. It was sent, but it wasn’t analyzed.”
Watch the prosecution and the protection’s Thursday closing arguments in the under video participant.
Background
Soto, who was anticipated to be induced to ship her son, by no means confirmed up for her appointment on Dec. 22, 2023.
Soto and her boyfriend, Guerra, have been final heard from on Dec. 21, 2023, in accordance with household and police statements.
Soto’s household quickly reported her as a lacking particular person. Authorities issued a statewide CLEAR Alert on Christmas Day.
One day later, on Dec. 26, 2023, police mentioned Soto and Guerra have been discovered lifeless in Guerra’s car at a Leon Valley house complicated.
On Jan. 3, 2024, Christopher Preciado, who was 19 on the time, was arrested and charged with capital murder. His father, Ramon Preciado, was arrested on costs of tampering with proof and abuse of a human corpse, in accordance with arrest data and police statements.
Authorities later arrested Myrta Romanos, Christopher Preciado’s mom, on allegations that she tried to assist cowl up the crime.
Soto and Guerra’s households mentioned they didn’t know Christopher and Ramon Preciado. Police mentioned the dispute that led to the killings started with a drug deal.
According to an arrest affidavit, Christopher Preciado advised police that Guerra pulled a gun on him and that he was capable of “manipulate it.” Soto and Guerra have been shot throughout that sequence.
In February 2025, Ramon Preciado was launched from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center after his bond was lowered.
Romanos was anticipated to go to trial in November 2025. However, after the state sought a reset that the court docket denied, prosecutors dismissed all costs in opposition to Romanos.
The case in opposition to Christopher Preciado moved ahead and was lastly set for trial.
The trial is anticipated to final greater than per week. The witness checklist included legislation enforcement officers from a number of businesses, an knowledgeable witness and relations from the Guerra and Soto households.
The witness checklist additionally included Ramon Preciado and Romanos, however neither have been requested to testify.
Witness testimony concluded on Wednesday, March 25, the seventh day of trial. In all, the prosecution known as 36 witnesses to the stand.
The decide isn’t permitting the trial to be livestreamed, however KSAT 12 News will present steady updates on the case from contained in the courtroom.
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