Jurors in “Mexican Jerry” murder trial shown graphic crime scene images

The trial is now underway for one of the people accused of a grisly murder in late 2014.

Thomas McNair was charged with murder after a burned body was found in the basement of an abandoned downtown building at 101 Mesa in September of 2014.

Jurors heard and saw the graphic details of the crime scene, hearing first from an El Paso Electric supervisor about how the scene was discovered and then from a crime scene technician who investigated and gathered the evidence.

Officer Joseph Valenzuela described the process by which police took pictures and collected evidence on the first floor and basement of the empty building, and what state the body was found in.

Valenzuela testified that he collected blood samples from drops, spatterings and smears throughout the stairway and leading into the basement, then sent off for forensic testing.

El Paso Electric crews originally discovered the body, calling police once they found it in the basement.

Judge William Moody did not allow video to be taken of the photos of the crime scene presented as evidence. The grisly crime scene photos showed the burned body barely recognizable as human on the blackened mattress in the dark basement.

Jurors also started to get a better idea of how the investigation into the murder and scene was handled in the days after it was all discovered.

Assigned to the case, Detective John Armendariz testified that police thought McNair himself was originally the victim, after finding out he was known to hang around the building and finding his belongings in a trash can. The initial examination of the victim also seemed to fit McNair’s description and size.

But after finding out McNair was still alive, police found him and brought him in for questioning. That’s when Armedariz testified that McNair confessed before the interview even started.

In a recording of the police interview reviewed by the judge outside of the presence of the jury Wednesday afternoon, McNair said “Apparently (the victim) owed me money, so I got tired of it and decided to kill him.” But as the interview went on, detectives suspected that wasn’t the full story.

In the recorded interview, detectives pressed McNair who then said the murder was actually planned by another person accused in connection to the murder, Brittney Stewart.
And that others accused all worked together to kill the victim and burn the body.

McNair said while he didn’t start the attack on the victim and didn’t want to be a part of, he was forced to slit the bound victim’s throat. quote

“I was told I had to do it. I had no choice,” McNair said in the taped interview.

That interview was admitted into evidence by Judge William Moody, and could be heard by the jury when the trial resumes at 8:30 am Thursday morning.