SAN ANGELO, TX –– The second day of the trial against Stephen Jennings was filled with lots of detail after the jury spent more than nine hours listening to investigators and a co-conspirator who testified in exchange for a plea bargain.
The day began with investigators from the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office detailing how the investigation led authorities to charge Jennings with Capital Murder.
According to investigators, Eric Torrez's body was found near Barnhart nearly two weeks after he was allegedly lured to San Angelo by the defendant on July 21, 2017. A linear search of the property near Hwy 163 allowed law enforcement to find Torrez's remains in the middle of a pasture.
According to the investigator in charge of the case, Sgt. Corey Speck, the only article of clothing left on the victim's body was a pair of khaki shorts –– which was consistent with the description given in the missing persons report. The remains had visible signs of insect activity, animal predation, and were exposed to the elements for an extended amount of time.
Officers were able to identify the victim after noticing a small piece of the right ear was missing –– another detail matching Torrez's description. Officers also observed a tattoo on the side of the victim's body.
According to Speck, the victim appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the head, just above the forehead. The impact of the bullet caused significant damage to his skull. Torrez also appeared to have suffered a gunshot in the hand.
During the investigation, the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office seized Jennings' phone and accessed the location data stored within the device. The data showed the phone pinged in at least three locations of great interest to investigators.
Hours after Torrez was allegedly kidnapped by the defendant, Jenning's phone showed he was near the Chick-fil-A on Sherwood Way shortly after 2:00 a.m
Security footage from the Stripes on Sherwood Way showed Jennings getting gas and entering the store to purchase a couple of drinks. The video then showed Jenning's vehicle heading toward Hwy 67. About an hour later, the phone pinged on Hwy 163 –– along a relatively deserted area of the highway.
Approximately seven hours later, Jenning's phone pinged in Ballinger, the same city where the victim's pickup had been abandoned in a Walmart parking lot. Footage from the Stripes in Ballinger showed Jennings and his father Gary enter the store that same day.
According to Sgt Speck, the TGCSO also seized video from the Kingdom Hall Church in Ballinger that allegedly shows the truck and the defendant's car traveling behind each other hours after the kidnapping. The alleged footage was not shown to the jury on Tuesday.
After completing three search warrants on the defendant's home and their co-conspirators, investigators piled a mountain of evidence that was then sent off to be tested at the DPS Crime Lab in Lubbock. DNA evidence, including blood spatter in the defendant's home, and blood inside a mop bucket were ultimately linked to the victim.
Cellphones have been a vital part of this trial as officials have used extracted data to piece together the timeline of this horrific crime. One of the parts of the puzzle came together after Angella Wray took the stand. Wray was charged with organized crime and aggravated kidnapping but reached a deal for deferred adjudication if she testified against Jennings.
As the third and final witness to take the stand, Wray gave the audience some background knowledge of what happened before the kidnapping occurred.
According to Wray, at the time the situation unfolded, she had become friends with Kristen Jennings and even employed her services as a babysitter for her youngest child.
Wray testified that while she knew Kristen shared two children with the victim and that she wanted to regain custody of their daughter, she didn't know all the details.
On the day of the kidnapping, Wray stated she received a phone call from Stephen Jennings who had a peculiar request.
Jennings allegedly told Wray that his wife's ex was coming to San Angelo so they could find out the location of the child. He would also tell her about the plan involving the fake bid and ask if her ex-boyfriend Derrick, would "back him up," during the meeting with Torrez.
After Wray contracted Derrick, she texted Jennings that her ex-boyfriend would help "as long as his name didn't come up," or stated he could get Jennings in contact with people who would help for the right price. According to Wray, Jennings wasn't looking to pay for the help.
She then advised Jennings to "cancel the meeting and think it thru, lolol," via text. Jennings then asked her to watch two children, Kristen's youngest son and a toddler she was hired to babysit.
Wray told the jury she initially hesitated in her response and only agreed to help with the children after spending time getting ready and stopping for gas. As Wray approached the Jennings' home, she observed Kristen driving in her direction and the two traveled to Wray's home, along with the defendant's father –– Gary Jennings.
During her testimony, Wray stated Kristen looked concerned and worried while at her house. A sudden phone call would then prompt Kristen and Gary to leave the home. After the initial visit, Kristen allegedly stopped by three additional times at the home.
During this time, Wray learned Kristen would be traveling to Abilene to pick up her daughter after her husband was able to extract the information from her ex. She would then show up at Wray's home with her daughter and son in tow.
Kristen would spend part of the night at Wray's home before returning to her home on Duckworth Rd in the middle of the night.
One of the more disturbing conversations to be read out loud to the jury occurred between Kristen and Wray after the kidnapping.
Kristen texted Wray to say she was "just going to give it time." To which Wray replied, " Just going to wait before he lets the bird go?"
Kristen would then reply, "Wouldn't want the kids to see their pet go that way," and received an "oh my goodness" from Wray.
When asked by prosecutors why she had sent that message she replied she didn't know and was possibly trying to get more details about the situation.
The third day of the trial will resume on Wednesday where it is expected the medical examiner will take the stand.
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