SAN ANGELO, TX -- The man accused of shooting and killing Eric Torrez in July 2017 was appointed a new attorney Wednesday in his first pretrial hearing of his capital murder case.
David Navarro, 43, was indicted by a Tom Green County grand jury for, “...intentionally causing the death of Eric Torrez by shooting him with a firearm while committing the offense of kidnapping Torrez.”
The hearing Wednesday was also about reducing Navarro’s bond so he could be released from jail, but that issue was not taken up by District Judge Barbara Walther. Navarro’s attorney said District Attorney John Best had agreed to dismiss the murder charge which carried no bond and allow the capital murder charge to remain. Navarro is charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. His bond is $500,000. Navarro has remained in the Tom Green County jail since he was arrested last july.
Navarro is one of five people charged in Torrez’s death. Stephen Jennings is also charged with capital murder and will be tried before Navarro. Garry Jennings is charged with murder, aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Kristen Jennings is charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. Angella Wray is charged with aggravated kidnapping and engaging in organized criminal activity.
As we reported last summer, on July 21, 2017, Eric Torrez was contacted by Stephen Jennings to place a bid on a construction job. This bid, however, was just a ploy to eventually lure Torrez to a residence located at 7481 Duckworth Road in Tom Green County. Torrez was to travel outside of Taylor County, where he lived, for the bid. His absence would allow Kristen Jennings, wife to Stephen Jennings, and Gary Jennings, father of Stephen Jennings, to travel to a residence in Taylor County for Kristen Jennings to gain physical possession over a female juvenile, the daughter of both Torrez and Kristen.
As previously reported, when Kristen Jennings arrived at Torrez’s residence in Taylor County, Jennings assaulted Torrez’s mother and took her daughter to the Duckworth Rd. residence. Kristen Jennings’ affidavit reads that she traveled to Taylor County with Gary and Stephen Jennings to follow Torrez in an attempt to learn the location of Torrez’s residence and day care facility of her daughter, the day before Torrez went missing.
The five are accused of beating Torrez then shooting and killing him. Eight days after Torrez went missing, law enforcement officers found his body in rural Crockett County.
Judge Walther released local attorney Gonzalo Rios from his court appointment. First Chair Jenny Henley requested Walther appoint Evan Pierce-Jones as second chair for Navarro’s defense. Pierce-Jones is the only other capital murder qualified attorney in San Angelo according to information in the court this morning.
Navarro remains in the Tom Green County jail in lieu of $500,000 bond. His next pretrial hearing is set for July 18. Judge Walther has not set a capital murder trial date because of conflicting dates with other capital cases for the defense attorneys. Navarro’s capital murder trial will not be held until sometime in 2019 at the earliest.
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