BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A Bexar County jury has returned its verdict in the capital murder trial of Christopher Preciado on Thursday afternoon.
Jurors found Preciado, 21, guilty in the December 2023 murders of Matthew Guerra, Savanah Soto and their unborn child. The jury reached its collective decision after approximately one hour and 56 minutes of deliberations.
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Preciado has now been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Both the prosecution and defense spent Thursday morning making their closing arguments to jurors.
Jury selection first kicked off court proceedings on March 16. Over the course of the next seven days in court, the state called 36 witnesses to the stand.
Testimony concluded on Wednesday afternoon after the prosecution and defense rested their cases.
Judge Jennifer Pena presided over the trial in Bexar County’s 290th Criminal District Court.
Background
Soto, who was expected to be induced to deliver her son, never showed up for her appointment on Dec. 22, 2023.
Soto and her boyfriend, Guerra, were last heard from on Dec. 21, 2023, according to family and police statements.
Soto’s family soon reported her as a missing person. Authorities issued a statewide CLEAR Alert on Christmas Day.
One day later, on Dec. 26, 2023, police said Soto and Guerra were found dead in Guerra’s vehicle at a Leon Valley apartment complex.
On Jan. 3, 2024, Christopher Preciado, who was 19 at the time, was arrested and charged with capital murder. His father, Ramon Preciado, was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence and abuse of a human corpse, according to arrest records and police statements.
Authorities later arrested Myrta Romanos, Christopher Preciado’s mother, on allegations that she tried to help cover up the crime.
Soto and Guerra’s families said they did not know Christopher and Ramon Preciado. Police said the dispute that led to the killings began with a drug deal.
According to an arrest affidavit, Christopher Preciado told police that Guerra pulled a gun on him and that he was able to “manipulate it.” Soto and Guerra were shot during that sequence.
In February 2025, Ramon Preciado was released from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center after his bond was reduced.
Romanos was expected to go to trial in November 2025. However, after the state sought a reset that the court denied, prosecutors dismissed all charges against Romanos.
The case against Christopher Preciado moved forward and was finally set for trial.
The trial is expected to last more than a week. The witness list included law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, an expert witness and family members from the Guerra and Soto families.
The witness list also included Ramon Preciado and Romanos, but neither were asked to testify.
The judge is not allowing the trial to be livestreamed, but KSAT 12 News will provide continuous updates on the case from inside the courtroom.
More coverage of the Christopher Preciado capital murder trial on KSAT: