‘It’s like a rollercoaster:’ El Paso mother’s yearslong wait to see daughter’s accused killer go to trial

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Her daughter was killed in 2019, but more than three years have passed, and she still doesn't have closure.

That El Paso mother, who ABC-7 is not identifying due to her daughter's case still pending in the courts, is anxiously awaiting the trial of her daughter's accused killer.

"It's like a rollercoaster," the mother said. "I'm frustrated. Angry. Sad."

Her daughter's case was initially in the hands of District Attorney Jaime Esparza's office. But the global Covid-19 pandemic halted the justice system, including jury trials, in March 2020. Then El Paso elected a new D.A. in November 2020 after Esparza chose not to run and instead retire. Yvonne Rosales was sworn into office as the new D.A. in January 2021.

Shortly after, the victim's mother says her daughter's case became increasingly frustrating.

"Just from the different changes going on, the different district attorneys. There was a time when it didn't feel like this case was important. Like it kind of stalled."

Five months into Rosales' term, Alejandra Abbud was hired to become the assistant director of the Victim Assistance Program, a division within the District Attorney's Office made up of victim advocates who deal directly with the victims of crime and their families. Those advocates are supposed to keep the victims of crime up to speed when it comes to their case.

But on Abbud's first day in her new role, she learned the director of the department was resigning.

"It was a very difficult time for my department," Abbud said. "We were the face of the victims and they were seeking answers from us. And at the time, it was difficult, because I don't think there was a game plan in place."

ABC-7 reached out to Rosales about that claim. She says she had an open-door policy. Rosales provided the 3-page letter below in response.

Statement from former D.A. Yvonne Rosales by KVIA ABC-7 on Scribd

But Rosales' tumultuous term, which included a gag order in the Aug. 3 case, accusations of witness intimidation of an Aug. 3 victim's family and hundreds of cases being dismissed due to inaction, came to an end with her resignation in late 2022.

D.A. Hicks Says He's Prioritizing Victim Assistance Program

In December 2022, Bill Hicks was sworn in as the new D.A. after being appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to finish out the two years remaining on Rosales' 4-year term.

He says putting an emphasis on the Victim Assistance Program was among his top priorities.

"I'm very proud of our victim assistance program," Hicks said. "There were so many cases that had no contact with the victims at all due to the backlog of cases. That presented a tremendous burden on our victim advocates because they weren't getting the information they needed in order to try to contact the victims on the cases that had been dismissed. The prosecutors must talk to the victims of our cases and inform them what the outcome of the case is going to be and why it is going to be that."

In the few months since taking office, Hicks says he's met personally with the families of numerous homicide cases, including the victim's mother ABC-7 interviewed.

"Meeting with those families is so hard," Hicks said. "It's very emotionally draining because all of them are experiencing so much trauma in their lives. Certainly none of them every wanted to be in those situations. They all feel very lost, very betrayed by the system. ... They deserve the respect of our office and to know that we care about that, and that we're fighting for them."

The victim's mother ABC-7 interviewed says she felt relieved walking out of her meeting with Hicks.

"There were a lot of changes going on here, a lot of different people often on the case," the victim's mother said. "And now it seems a little more stable and like we're getting somewhere."

Hicks says he added additional help and support to her daughter's case so that the one prosecutor wasn't like "a lone wolf." 

"They appreciated that to know that they were getting the support of the entire district attorney's office and that we cared, we cared," Hicks said.

The D.A.'s office anticipates that case going to trial by the end of the summer.

The victim's mother says she wants her daughter to be remembered for the happy person she was when she was alive.

"Even though her life was taken too soon, I want [everyone] to see she was victorious," the victim's mother said.