SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County jury reached a verdict in the retrial of a man accused of killing his estranged wife in August 2017.
The jury found Contreras guilty of a murder charge and an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury charge to a member of Contreras' family.
The jury began deliberating Guadalupe Contreras’ fate just after 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Nearly seven hours elapsed between the time the jury started deliberations and the time the verdict was read in court.
After the verdict was read, Rangel told the jury that the punishment phase of Contreras' retrial would begin at 9 a.m. Friday.
Below is a timeline of events from Thursday’s court proceedings.
9:56 a.m. - Guadalupe Contreras’ defense attorney Charles Bunk asked Judge Ron Rangel to make Joe Munoz Jr.‘s YouTube comments on KSAT 12 News’ coverage of the retrial as a part of court records. Munoz is the ex-husband of Elizabeth Contreras, the victim killed in August 2017.
The prosecution did not object. Rangel admitted Munoz’s comments as a part of the formal record. The jury was not present at this time.
9:59 a.m. - Judge Rangel said the state and the defense will have 35 minutes each to make their closing arguments.
10:01 a.m. - The jury enters the courtroom. Judge Rangel reads out the charges Contreras is facing as a reminder to the jury.
10:15 a.m. - Rangel asked the state if it would like to begin its closing arguments. Instead, the state allowed Contreras' defense team to go first. Bunk commences the defense’s closing arguments.
10:16 a.m. - Bunk points to a “green sign on the (alleged suspect’s) car that nobody discussed” to kick off the defense’s closing argument to the jury.
“Remember that green sign that was stuck on the car? Remember? And SAPD put it there,” Bunk told the jury. “And it says, ‘This car is illegally parked.’ And on the day they believe Elizabeth (Contreras) was murdered — August, the second (2017) — this car was illegally parked at 10:30 (p.m.). 10:30 (p.m.). So you’ve got to decide right now (that) if this is true, their science is wrong, he (Guadalupe) was at work and we’ve wasted all of your time."
10:18 a.m. - Bunk discussed the charges.
10:22 a.m. - Citing surveillance video still photos on Chive Drive on the night of Elizabeth Contreras' death, Bunk alleges Joe Munoz Jr. was in one of three cars following the victim near the scene of the crime.
“Two cars at 11:01 (p.m.): Elizabeth (Contreras) and Joe (Munoz Jr.). The car that is supposed to be there at 11:05:55 (p.m.) — just like they (the state) told you he was supposed to be there — is right there. Car No. 3. That’s his car," Bunk told the jury, pointing to Guadalupe Contreras as the third person in the third car. “Just like they told you he was supposed to be. That’s a problem for them (the state). Because if there’s another person there, you cannot believe beyond a reasonable doubt that he (Guadalupe) did anything. That’s a real problem.”
10:40 a.m. - Bunk lamented to the jury that “nobody (outside the courtroom) really cares” about the Guadalupe Contreras case because the case involves “some poor guy named Guadalupe Contreras.”
“Can you imagine this scenario?” Bunk said to the jury. “‘9-1-1, what’s your emergency?' ‘Oh, man. My wife’s missing.' ‘What’s your name?' ‘Brad Simpson.’ ‘What’s your wife’s name?' ‘Suzanne Simpson.’”
The state objected to Bunk’s comparison between the current case and the pending Brad Simpson murder case.
In response to the prosecution’s objection, Bunk said, “You can object all you want. I’m saying something. You can object all you want.”
“Judge (Rangel), can I have a ruling?” the state asked.
“Overruled,” Rangel said.
10:42 a.m. - The defense ended its closing argument.
10:43 a.m. - The state began its closing argument. Prosecutor Kristin Mulliner characterized Bunk’s closing argument as “absolutely ridiculous.”
“You got (sic) to remember that these theories need to be supported by evidence,” Mulliner told the jury. “His (Bunk’s) theory is absolutely supported by no evidence. You didn’t hear any evidence that supports what he just said to you for 30 minutes. Nothing.”
10:44 a.m. - The state recapped the charges Guadalupe Contreras faces and the evidence connected to the case with the jury.
11:17 a.m. - The state concluded its closing argument.
11:18 a.m. - The jury was dismissed to begin deliberations.
5:55 p.m. - KSAT learned that a verdict has been reached.
6:12 p.m. - Judge Ron Rangel reenters the courtroom.
6:17 p.m. - The jury reenters the courtroom.
6:18 p.m. - Judge Ron Rangel reads the jury’s verdict.
The jury found Contreras guilty of a murder charge and an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury to a member of Contreras' family.
Rangel then asked each juror for their verdict on each count. All jurors told Rangel that they voted Contreras guilty on both counts.
6:19 p.m. - Rangel said he accepted the jury’s verdict.
6:20 p.m. - Rangel told the jury that the punishment phase of Contreras' retrial would begin at 9 a.m. Friday.
Guadalupe Contreras, arrested in August 2017, is charged with the murder of his wife, 39-year-old Elizabeth Contreras. According to an arrest affidavit, authorities described the case as “a dangerous love affair that ended with homicide.”
On Wednesday, Joe Munoz Jr., the ex-husband of Elizabeth Contreras, took the stand to start court proceedings.
He was questioned by Guadalupe Contreras' defense attorney Charles Bunk whether or not he commented during KSAT 12 News' livestream coverage of the trial.
While questioned about commenting on KSAT 12 News' livestream coverage of the retrial, Munoz admitted to Bunk that he did comment on the KSAT livestream with the volume muted.
Bunk asked the court to consider this case as a mistrial, but the motion was dismissed.
Contreras faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
More coverage of Guadalupe Contreras' retrial:
