EDINBURG — Nearly three weeks after a jury could not reach a unanimous decision on whether to convict Victor Lee Alfaro of murder, attorneys for the state and the defense reconvened Wednesday to discuss the status of the new trial.
Although defense attorney Hector Hernandez Jr. announced he was ready for trial, District Judge Mario Ramirez Jr. said it would constitute “malpractice” to proceed without reviewing the previous trial transcript.
Assistant District Attorney Monica Barron Auger announced she had subpoenaed all phone conversations Alfaro had made from jail, in addition to submitting his cellphone to have it analyzed, the results of which are pending.
Alfaro, 27, is accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Reynaldo Reyes Jr. at an Edinburg apartment complex on May 4, 2016.
He was acquitted of his second charge — aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — during the first trial.
Notes the jurors sent the judge during their 13-hour deliberation indicated that some questioned Alfaro’s involvement after hearing from Reyes’ sister, the only eyewitness to the crime who testified she was in the apartment while it happened.
The attorneys will return to court in mid-June for another status hearing.
Alfaro has remained in custody since May 2016 on a $600,000 bond.
