SAN ANTONIO – Two men accused of a double murder and arson to cover up the crime had their capital murder charges dismissed on Tuesday.
A jury was expected to be selected in a trial for Juan Antonio Reyes this week, but the case was dismissed by the District Attorney’s Office, according to online court records, due to insufficient evidence.
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In a statement to KSAT, the District Attorney’s Office said the State could not proceed with the trial due to doubts about a key witness’s testimony.
“While this case was going to be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury, our office was prepared to take the case to trial and fight for the victims of this crime,” the statement read. “Recently, a necessary witness for the State made statements to our office which cast doubt on the veracity of their testimony. Without the testimony of this primary identification witness, the State is unable to prove the identity of the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury at trial.”
Reyes’ co-defendant, John Bishop Torres, also had his case dismissed on Tuesday.
They were accused of fatally shooting two of Reyes’ relatives in 2022 and setting their home on fire.
The victims, 39-year-old Sergio Soto and his 51-year-old aunt, Rachel Martinez, were found by firefighters after they extinguished the fire.
According to an arrest affidavit, both victims had been shot in the head.
Investigators used surveillance footage to identify Reyes and Torres as suspects. The video reportedly showed the two leaving the home shortly after it was set on fire, according to court documents.
In October, Reyes’ attorneys informed the judge there would be no further delays in the case, and both sides seemed ready to head to trial.
Reyes had a previous 2018 aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge that was dismissed in 2021 due to a missing witness.
With no other pending cases, Reyes will be set free from jail. Torres has parole pending.