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EDINBURG — The court was presented with a small glimpse of what once was the life of Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Moises Sanchez through the eyes of his widow, Yvonne Sanchez, and his first born son, Zachary Sanchez.
Sanchez was shot by 28-year-old Edinburg resident Victor Alejandro Godinez on April 6, 2019, who was convicted of capital murder of a peace officer Tuesday night, for the death of Sanchez, who died months later in Houston following a surgery.
Godinez was also convicted on two counts of attempted capital murder of a peace officer after he shot at two Edinburg police officers during his manhunt.
The punishment phase began Wednesday morning with opening arguments from prosecutor Joseph Orendain who alluded to jurors they were going to hear about Godinez’s life after the murder.
“You’ll hear what the defendant has been up to,” Orendain said. “You’ll hear about what the defendant calls himself in jail.”
However, following their opening arguments, prosecutors first called upon Yvonne to testify regarding Sanchez’s life before his death.
According to Yvonne, she had once signed him up as a volunteer coach at the Boys & Girls Club in McAllen, which made him laugh, but he became dedicated enough to where he eventually became head coach.
Sanchez coached several sports such as tee-ball, football, baseball as well mixed martial arts for kids because Sanchez wanted to teach kids how to defend themselves against bullies.
A video of his funeral proceedings and the unveiling of the road in Edinburg named after him, immortalizing the trooper in the Rio Grande Valley, was played without audio.
In that video was Mission Police Chief Cesar Torres who, according to Yvonne, was the person who influenced Sanchez to become a state trooper. They had been friends as they both attended the Seventh Day Adventists Church.
Orendain asked Yvonne about the day Sanchez died and her trip back home.
“My three children and I came home on a private jet alone,” she said through tears. “We had to leave him behind.”
The reason being was that Sanchez was an organ donor and for his autopsy.
Yvonne stated that her middle child, Zebastian, took it the hardest.
Following Yvonne was her eldest son Zachary, who wore his trooper uniform as he had decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps and graduated from the academy when he was 22 years old, something his mother had mixed emotions about, according to Zachary.
He testified that she was worried that another incident similar to his dad’s would occur again, but that she was proud of him.
When asked what life’s been like without his dad, Zachary remained stoic.
“It’s been rough,” he said.
Zachary testified that seeing other families or his own family celebrating life events, such as his wedding which happened in November 2022, makes the absence of his father more profound, but despite it all, he added that the loss wouldn’t stop him from living his life.
“I’m not going to let it stop me from serving,” Zachary said.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
