4 years after sergeant's death, suspect awaits trial

Fellow deputies await closure in Sgt. Kenneth Vann's death

SAN ANTONIO – It has been four years today since Bexar County sheriff's Sgt. Kenneth Vann was killed in an execution-style slaying while on duty.

For some within the agency, his loss still feels fresh.

"A lot of people here knew Kenny. They worked with him. His wife still works here and is a sergeant in our agency," said James Keith, chief of communications for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

Vann is also the most recent person in the Sheriff's Office to die in the line of duty.

Vann was waiting at a traffic signal at Loop 410 and Rigsby Road when he was ambushed, investigators said. The shooter, Mark Anthony Gonzales, drove up beside his marked car and fired repeatedly.

Vann was pronounced dead at the scene.

"It's important for folks to remember that our deputies, when they leave the house in the morning, they don't know if they're going to return home. It's a huge sacrifice that they make," Keith said.

Just days after Vann was laid to rest, investigators tracked down a suspect in the case.

Gonzalez is charged with capital murder and is still awaiting trial while many within the Sheriff's Office are awaiting closure in the form of a capital murder conviction.

"It's ironic, too, that the person accused of killing Sgt. Vann is in our facility," Keith said. "It's something that our deputies are aware of, and we look forward to the day that he's not here and justice is served."