Jury selection underway in Mark Gonzalez's competency trial

Jury to decide competency following capital murder conviction

SAN ANOTNIO – Before a jury’s decision that Mark Anthony Gonzalez should be executed for the slaying of Bexar County Sheriff’s Deputy Kenneth Vann, the issue of his competency must be resolved.

A jury is being chosen for a trial to evaluate whether Gonzalez is currently competent and whether he was competent during the punishment phase of his capital murder trial in October of last year.

Gonzalez was sentenced to death during the trial.

But the competency issue must be decided before that sentence can be formally imposed.

Testimony in the competency trial is expected to begin Thursday in Judge Andrew Carruther’s Magistrate Court.


About the Author:

Paul Venema is a courthouse reporter for KSAT with more than 25 years experience in the role.