SAN ANTONIO – On Tuesday, prosecutors produced evidence in the murder trial of Gregorio Barrera, 55, that they said is critical to their case.
Gregorio Barrera is on trial for killing his brother, Andres Barrera, 46, and burying his body in a shallow grave on the North Padre Island Seashore in September 2016.
Prosecutors said the brothers often fought violently over ownership of a home on Sagebrush Street in San Antonio that they had inherited from their parents.
It was at that home where police found evidence prosecutors said was significant: a shovel, a pair of sneakers and blood.
“The material that came off the shoes was consistent with a beach sand,” Maureen Bottrell, an FBI geologist, testified.
Bottrell, however, said that it was not possible to determine the origin of the sand and that the results on the shovel were inconclusive concerning the material it contained.
A forensic scientist testified that DNA found on the shoes matched Andres Barrera's DNA and that blood samples taken from the walls, ceiling and other areas of the home matched the victim’s DNA.
Testimony is expected to resume Wednesday in Judge Jefferson Moore’s 186th District Court.
A guilty verdict could mean life in prison for Gregorio Barrera.