Journey to justice: Tornillo family finds closure after conviction in loved one’s murder

FABENS, Texas (KVIA) -- After nearly six years, an El Paso-area man was convicted of capital murder, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to life in prison, plus 40 years, for a shooting that happened in 2018.

According to affidavits obtained by ABC-7, Eduardo Garza Santillana was employed by the murder victim, 64-year-old Miguel Rivera. However, documents say about two weeks before the shooting, Rivera fired Garza because he believed Garza was stealing from him.

Documents indicate that on July 25, 2018, El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPCSO) Detectives were called out to 21443 Alameda to investigate a possible homicide. Deputies found two men, later identified as Rivera and his ranch hand, with gunshot wounds. Both men were taken to Del Sol Medical Center, where Rivera was later pronounced dead. His employee, however, survived.

After a seven-month-long investigation, EPCSO arrested Garza. According to court documents, Garza pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Rivera's daughter told ABC-7, it was not until March of this year that Garza's trial began.

After being presented with evidence, a jury found Garza, 46, guilty of the charges.

ABC-7 sat down with Rivera's daughter to talk about her father, and about the family's journey to justice.

"No sentence would ever be enough, you know, for what he did to my dad. But that's just something that we're going to have to accept," said Marlene Rivera.

Marlene said having to sit through Garza's trial years after the murder was like reopening a wound.

"To sit in that courtroom and listen to the testimonies, listen to everything in detail of what happened was very horrible," she said.  "Seeing the individual, you know, not have any remorse... him standing there, you know, like with no care in the world... I looked at the individual and, you know, I told him how we felt and what he did to us, how it hurt us and how it affected us. Never looked up at me once."

Now, Marlene and her family honor Miguel by sharing photos and videos of him, and talking about him with his grandkids.

"Mike Rivera, was the most humblest man that you could have ever met. He was a very caring, giving person amongst all," she said.