SAN ANTONIO – Nearly a decade after the brutal killing of a beloved H-E-B employee, the man accused of her death is once again facing a jury.
R.C. Curtis, whose first trial ended in a mistrial in 2021, is charged with capital murder in the death of 75-year-old Paula Boyd, known to friends and customers as “Paulita.”
Boyd was found dead inside her San Antonio apartment on Oct. 21, 2015, after coworkers requested a welfare check. Prosecutors said Curtis — who was married to Boyd’s granddaughter at the time and had known Boyd since childhood — killed her and stole her credit and debit cards.
During opening statements on Tuesday, prosecutor Daryl Harris told jurors about Boyd’s life and her reputation as a friendly face at the H-E-B on De Zavala and Interstate 10. Firefighters from a nearby station were among those who befriended her, describing her as “everybody’s grandmother.”
During the afternoon testimony, Curtis was seen nodding off on several occasions.
Jurors were also shown graphic photos of the crime scene, which depicted Boyd lying naked near her bed with blood on her face.
The medical examiner who conducted the autopsy said that Boyd had injuries caused by blunt force to her eyes, cheeks, lip and chin.
Dr. William McClain said Boyd had marks around her neck from strangulation, injuries so severe that they fractured the vertebrae behind her neck. Boyd also had defensive wounds on her hands.
The defense, led by attorney Charles Bunk, argued that the state has no evidence directly tying Curtis to the murder and claimed other men, not Curtis, were responsible.
They pointed to David Rocha, who admitted to using Boyd’s stolen credit cards and received two years’ probation.
Bunk questioned the handling of the crime scene, suggesting it may have been compromised. The defense pressed the first responding officer about whether items were moved, including testimony that the medical examiner investigators repositioned pillows under Boyd during the initial examination.
When cross-examining the medical examiner, Bunk asked if it was possible that multiple people were involved because of injuries on both sides of her face, to which McClain said it could be possible.
Also, Bunk asked McClain about possible sexual assault, and he said there were no signs of sexual assault.
Boyd’s daughter, Brenda Boyd Perez, also testified Tuesday. She said she had a joint account with her mother to help with her finances.
The day after Boyd’s murder, Perez said she checked the account and noticed unusual activity in an area of town her mother didn’t go to.
The trial is expected to continue throughout the week with testimony from more than a dozen witnesses, including one of the men who used Boyd’s stolen credit cards.
If convicted, Curtis would face an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Testimony is set to resume Tuesday morning.
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