Capital Murder Indictments Handed Down in Killing of Eric Torrez

SAN ANGELO, TX — A Tom Green County grand jury indicted four of the suspects accused of kidnapping and then killing Eric Torrez on Oct. 2 and 3.

Torrez was lured to a home on Duckworth Rd. in the county, held hostage, and eventually shot and in the head and killed in July, according to court documents and police reports. His body was found in a field in Crockett County by Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office investigators and Texas Rangers on Aug, 4.

The crime spanned two cities, Abilene and San Angelo, and involved custody of Torrez’s child he fathered with one of the suspects, Kristen Anne Dean.

Stephen Jennings, Kristen’s husband now, is charged with capital murder and could face the death penalty if District Attorney John Best seeks it. Stephen Jennings is accused in law enforcement documents of fetching the firearm and shooting Torrez in the head.

Before Torrez was killed, he endured days of captivity, being bound to a chair. Alleged co-conspirator David Navarro is accused of torturing Torrez and showing a video of himself striking a bloodied and bound Torrez to an old girlfriend. The girlfriend told Sheriff’s investigators, “that the video showed Torrez sitting in the chair beaten and bleeding from his head and mouth area. His eyes were swollen and looked tired and worn out as if he had been there for some period of time.” (See Details on how 5 conspired to kill Eric Torrez).

Navarro was indicted for capital murder as well.

For allegedly assisting in the crime, the grand jury indicted Stephen’s father, Garry Jennings. He faces charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Kidnapping, and Tamper/fabricate physical evidence of a corpse with intent to impair a law enforcement investigation. Garry Jennings is accused of helping in cleaning up the crime scene and then helping Stephen hide the body in field in Crockett County, between Ozona and Barnhart, where the body was found.

Angella Wray, the alleged babysitter, who is said to have facilitated the killing by watching the Jennings’ older children while Stephen and Kristen Jennings handled Torrez, was also indicted. She was indicted for aggravated kidnapping and engaging in organized crime.

Stephen Jenning’s wife Kristen was charged in Tom Green County for capital murder, aggravated kidnapping, and engaging in organized criminal activity. She was extradited to Taylor County where she sits in jail facing charges of burglary of a habitation. Her bond there is set at $1,050,000. She has a bond reduction hearing upcoming Oct. 12, according to Taylor County Court records. There are no indictments posted yet in Tom Green or Taylor County court records for Kristen Jennings, or by her maiden name, Kristen Anne Dean.

Who was indicted with what:

Stephen Jennings, husband of Kristen Jennings – 3 counts total.

• Capital Murder (life in prison or death penalty)
• Aggravated Kidnapping (first-degree felony)
• Tamper/Fabricating with evidence Corpse with intent to impair (second-degree felony)

Garry Jennings, Stephen’s father – 3 counts total

• Murder (first-degree felony – 5-99 years in prison)
• Aggravated Kidnapping (first-degree felony)
• Tamper/Fabricating with evidence Corpse with intent to impair (second-degree felony)

David Navarro, friend of Stephen Jennings – 2 counts total

• Capital Murder (life in prison or death penalty)
• Aggravated Kidnapping (first-degree felony)

Angella Wray, the Jennings’ babysitter – 2 counts total

• Aggravated kidnapping (first-degree felony)
• Engaging in organized crime (second-degree felony)

Kristen Jennings, Stephen’s wife and Torrez’s ex – No indictments yet.