Retrial for 2012 killing of Sierra Lamar expected to begin this fall
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- More than 14 years after Morgan Hill teenager Sierra LaMar disappeared, the retrial of Antolin Garcia-Torres is moving closer to jury selection, with opening statements tentatively scheduled for October.
LaMar was 15 when she disappeared in March 2012 while catching a school bus in Morgan Hill. Her family pleaded publicly for her return in the days after she vanished.
"I love you so much, Sierra. And your family and your friends are really worried about you," her mother, Marlene LaMar, said at the time.
Her father also continued to call for help in finding his daughter.
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"We still need to find her so we're looking for everyone to help us do that," Steve LaMar said in 2012.
Police said Sierra LaMar's bag and clothing were later found less than 2 miles from her home.
DNA evidence pointed investigators to Garcia-Torres. Despite years of searches by law enforcement and community volunteers, the teenager has never been found.
In 2017, a jury convicted Garcia-Torres of first-degree murder. He was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office told ABC7 Eyewitness News that jury selection in the retrial is expected to begin in September.
Opening statements, which remain subject to change, are tentatively scheduled for Oct. 5.
Steven Clark, a legal analyst who has followed the case since 2012, said the retrial marks a significant reset of the proceedings.
"What the court ruled is that Antolin Garcia Torres is entitled to an entirely new trial, and that new trial is now on the fast track," Clark said.
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Garcia-Torres' conviction was overturned because of evidence presented in the first trial concerning other crimes.
Clark said DNA evidence is expected to play a central role in the retrial.
"There's no murder weapon, no crime scene and no body. And now the DA can't bring in those three attempted kidnappings," Clark said.
Clark also said advances in technology since LaMar's disappearance could affect how evidence is presented.
"The prosecution is going to have to jump start this case, retest their evidence," he said. "This has to be extremely difficult for Sierra Lamar's family to have to go through this process again. This was a grueling trial."
According to the District Attorney's Office, the retrial could last two to three months.
"It's still very much of an open wound," Clark said. As the case heads back to court, the central question remains unresolved.
"What really happened to Sierra LaMar?" Clark said.
