Investigator describes crime scene in Edinburg double homicide trial

A witness testified Tuesday that they discovered a diamond ring, a handgun and drug paraphernalia inside the stolen GMC Sierra that belonged to one of the murder victims in the Edinburg double homicide trial after the main suspect was arrested.

Gabriel Keith Escalante, 43, is accused of asphyxiating his friend’s mother, Olivia Salinas, the 73-year-old who owned the vehicle, and beating her son, Alejandro Salinas, 53, to death. He’s also accused of cleaning the crime scene with his girlfriend, Irene Navejar, 44.

Escalante and Navejar were charged with capital murder of multiple persons and tampering with evidence with intent to impair.

Both have pleaded not guilty.

The state presented the jury with physical evidence provided by Williams Walls of the Edinburg Police Department who stated that he wasn’t actively investigating the case, but did help collect evidence from two crime scenes.

At the Salinas residence, Walls testified that multiple objects were taken into evidence, including the two shovels police found near freshly dug up dirt.

Walls added that he and another investigator methodically removed the wooden pallets that were stacked on top of the tarp-wrapped bodies as they took pictures of the crime scene.

The officer was also called to collect evidence at Escalante’s last residence, where the suspect was arrested and Olivia’s truck was found.

Inside the vehicle, authorities found various cleaning products, such as disinfectant spray, wipes, detergent and more. They also found Olivia’s handgun, a diamond ring and drug paraphernalia under and beside the driver’s seat.

A box of live 9mm Luger rounds was also seen in the center console of the vehicle and a purse carrying Olivia’s belongings and jewelry was found in the backseat.

Inside the apartment, Walls said it smelled of bleach. Crime scene photos showed a nearly empty bottle on a table inside the home.

“It was so strong that my eyes started burning and my sinuses started to run,” Walls said.

Investigators also discovered red stains between the tiles of the apartment and a TV that Escalante and Navejar were gifted.

“We saw spots that looked like blood,” Walls said. “We weren’t sure what it was.”

The state believes the cleaning products found inside Olivia’s truck are proof that Escalante tried to clean evidence and that they were also linked to a run-down Ford Explorer found at the Salinas property. That vehicle also smelled of decay and was covered in a white powder, which authorities believe was a cleaning product.

Martha Salinas, a former EZPAWN manager, testified that she had suspicions the power washer Escalante sold through an unidentified male was stolen because he was making the deal despite saying the other man was the owner of the washer.

She described the man as having two black eyes as if he had been punched.

Testimony will continue Wednesday morning.