District Attorney Responds To Cold Murder Case Investigation

Fox 2
March 5, 2014

http://www.foxrio2.com/district-attorney-responds-to-cold-murder-case-investigation/

District attorney René Guerra held a press conference to clarify doubts surrounding the investigation into Irene Garza’s homicide.

after a special documentary aired over the weekend on a national network about the Irene Garza murder case, which Guerra deemed biased and political, the district attorney decided to call on the media to refute accusations that his office has not done enough to prosecute the case.

“The foreman of the grand jury together with the rest they decided they did not want to hear any further testimony after 14 weeks and 76 hours of testimony,” René Guerra, Hidalgo County district attorney explained.

Irene Garza was found dead at 25 in a canal in McAllen in April of 1960. Evidence collected back then was not sufficient to tie the prime suspect father john fait, who had received Garza for confession.

It was not until 2004 that new testimony emerged from 2 former priests that the case was brought to life again.

But a grand jury concluded to ‘no bill’ after not being convinced of the evidence.

However, Garza’s family believes the jury was not presented with all the evidence in a proper manner.

“Yes it’s an old case, but justice never gets old, that is why murder cases don’t have an expiration date,” said Linda De La Viña, Irene Garza’s cousin.

“When you are looking at capital murder subject to death penalty that case is going to be gone over with a fine tooth comb, especially before indictment not after indictment.”

De La Viña wants the case to be brought back to a grand jury no matter who ends up getting the DA’s seat come election day.

“That is all that we ask for, is that unbiased, no animosity, new eyes if you will,” adds De La Viña.

“I feel for the family, and now some family members might be more outspoken than others but the reality of the situation is that in our office, the integrity of this office and the oath that I’ve taken, I live with it every day, and i have to face the mirror every that about doing the right thing,” adds Guerra.

On the other hand, Guerra’s opponent, Ricardo Rodriguez has promised the family to revisit the case if elected, but admits that it is no guarantee that another grand jury will see things differently.