Retrial Begins in Sierra LaMar Murder Case

Antolin Garcia-Torres’s retrial began with opening statements on November 2 in Santa Clara County court. He was convicted in 2017 of kidnapping and murdering Sierra LaMar, a 15-year-old from Morgan Hill who disappeared on March 16, 2012, while walking to catch her school bus.

The conviction was overturned in February. An appellate court ruled that details of distinct 2009 kidnapping allegations did not belong in the first proceeding. The retrial is expected to last several months and could continue into the new year.

Prosecutors said LaMar was a stranger to Garcia-Torres before the abduction, and argued he took her away before she could live the life she should have had. Investigators have reported that samples consistent with Garcia-Torres’s DNA, along with fibers from the carpet in his vehicle, turned up on LaMar’s clothing. They also said her DNA was found in the vehicle, including hair on a rope in the trunk.

Defense attorney Al Lopez argued that the prosecution’s case relies on theory and fear, and said its evidence would be contradicted by timing, physics and law enforcement witnesses. A legal analyst said DNA is likely to be a central point of dispute in the narrower retrial. Witness testimony is scheduled to begin on November 3, with closing arguments expected after several months of proceedings.