INSIDER
DA’s Office reveals decision on death penalty in case of man accused of viciously attacking ex-wife, daughters
Read full article: DA’s Office reveals decision on death penalty in case of man accused of viciously attacking ex-wife, daughtersThe man charged with attacking his ex-wife and two young daughters, killing one of them, found out he will be facing the death penalty when he goes to trial.
Sources: Bexar County District Attorney holds meeting to explain relationship with Wren Collective
Read full article: Sources: Bexar County District Attorney holds meeting to explain relationship with Wren CollectiveSources tell KSAT Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales held an all-staff meeting this week to address reports and explain the relationship with the Austin-based criminal justice reform group.
‘Very concerning’: Former prosecutor exposes troubling discussions between DA’s office, Wren Collective
Read full article: ‘Very concerning’: Former prosecutor exposes troubling discussions between DA’s office, Wren CollectiveAttorney Meredith Chacon explains potential fallout in conversations had by DA’s Office and criminal justice reform group.
The ambush murder of SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi; South Texas Crime Stories
Read full article: The ambush murder of SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi; South Texas Crime StoriesIn 2016, SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi was shot and killed outside of the Public Safety Headquarters downtown on a Sunday afternoon. After a 30-hour manhunt and dramatic trial, his killer is now on death row.
Jury sentences Otis McKane to the death penalty for the shooting death of SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi
Read full article: Jury sentences Otis McKane to the death penalty for the shooting death of SAPD Det. Benjamin MarconiA jury has sentenced a man convicted of killing a San Antonio Police detective to the death penalty.
Emotions run high in court as relatives of slain SAPD detective Benjamin Marconi, convicted murderer Otis McKane testify
Read full article: Emotions run high in court as relatives of slain SAPD detective Benjamin Marconi, convicted murderer Otis McKane testifyAttorneys for the state and the defense on Wednesday presented character witnesses who delivered emotional and tearful testimony in the punishment phase of the Otis McKane trial.
Defense tries to imply Otis McKane’s ex-girlfriend prevented him from visiting with their son
Read full article: Defense tries to imply Otis McKane’s ex-girlfriend prevented him from visiting with their sonThe ex-girlfriend of a man convicted of killing a San Antonio police detective was cross-examined on the witness stand Tuesday by the defense in an apparent effort to show that she may have prevented the defendant from visiting with their son.
‘He threatened to kill me’: Otis McKane’s ex-girlfriend testifies against him in capital murder trial
Read full article: ‘He threatened to kill me’: Otis McKane’s ex-girlfriend testifies against him in capital murder trialA man convicted of killing a San Antonio police detective was described in court Monday as a bad father, an abusive boyfriend and a drug dealer.
Pictures found on McKane’s cellphone include media coverage of Marconi’s slaying, disassembling Glock pistol
Read full article: Pictures found on McKane’s cellphone include media coverage of Marconi’s slaying, disassembling Glock pistolA man convicted of killing a San Antonio police detective documented the aftermath of the fatal shooting on his cellphone, according to evidence the prosecution presented Wednesday.
Bailiff elbowed in the face by Otis McKane testifies in punishment phase of capital murder trial
Read full article: Bailiff elbowed in the face by Otis McKane testifies in punishment phase of capital murder trialThe Bexar County sheriff’s deputy who was attacked in court by a man who had just been found guilty of killing a San Antonio police officer testified Tuesday in the punishment phase of the defendant’s capital murder trial.
State rests in trial of Otis McKane, accused of murdering SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi
Read full article: State rests in trial of Otis McKane, accused of murdering SAPD Det. Benjamin MarconiThe state rested its case Friday afternoon in the capital murder trial of Otis McKane, who is charged with the November 2016 fatal shooting of SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi
Otis McKane cries in court, admits to killing SAPD Det. Marconi in police interrogation video
Read full article: Otis McKane cries in court, admits to killing SAPD Det. Marconi in police interrogation videoThe jury in the capital murder trial of Otis McKane sees perhaps the most damaging testimony in the case when they viewed the police interrogation video in which the defendant admitted to the slaying of San Antonio Police Det. Benjamin Marconi.
Prosecutors call on NASA to help build case against man charged in SAPD detective’s shooting death
Read full article: Prosecutors call on NASA to help build case against man charged in SAPD detective’s shooting deathAn image analyst for NASA testified Tuesday how his team at the Johnson Space Center used the same technology and techniques to investigate the Space Shuttle Columbia explosion in 2003 as that of the execution-style shooting death of a San Antonio police detective.
Prosecution tries to fill gaps between Marconi’s slaying and McKane’s arrest with surveillance video
Read full article: Prosecution tries to fill gaps between Marconi’s slaying and McKane’s arrest with surveillance videoSurveillance video from a local hotel was used Monday by prosecutors in an effort to show the possible whereabouts of Otis McKane hours after the shooting death of SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi.
Jury sees video of Otis McKane getting a marriage license the day after SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi was fatally shot
Read full article: Jury sees video of Otis McKane getting a marriage license the day after SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi was fatally shotJurors in the capital murder trial of Otis McKane were shown a video Friday of the defendant getting a marriage license the day after he’s accused of shooting and killing San Antonio Police Detective Benjamin Marconi.
SAPD officer tells jury about having to inform Det. Marconi’s family about his death
Read full article: SAPD officer tells jury about having to inform Det. Marconi’s family about his deathWhen San Antonio Police Officer Frances Ochoa heard “officer down” on her police radio the morning of Nov. 20, 2016, she got into her patrol car and drove from the Central Substation to nearby Public Safety Headquarters as fast as she could, she testified in day four of the trial of Otis McKane on Thursday.
‘What the f***! He’s got a gun, Mom.’: Mother, daughter describe witnessing fatal shooting of SAPD detective
Read full article: ‘What the f***! He’s got a gun, Mom.’: Mother, daughter describe witnessing fatal shooting of SAPD detectiveA mother and her daughter testified in court Wednesday about seeing a gunman shoot and kill San Antonio police Detective Benjamin Marconi while he was sitting in his patrol car.
‘I was afraid to help’: Witness who found slain SAPD detective delivers gripping testimony in second day of Otis McKane trial
Read full article: ‘I was afraid to help’: Witness who found slain SAPD detective delivers gripping testimony in second day of Otis McKane trialA man recalled to a jury the moments he heard gunshots and finding San Antonio Police Detective Benjamin Marconi slain in his patrol car.
Jurors see video of detective’s slaying on first day of Otis McKane trial in San Antonio
Read full article: Jurors see video of detective’s slaying on first day of Otis McKane trial in San AntonioSecurity footage captured in front of Public Safety Headquarters where a San Antonio police officer was shot and killed in his patrol unit shows the suspect accused of killing him at the scene of the crime, prosecutors said.
Jury deliberating punishment in trial of Otis McKane, convicted of murdering SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi
Read full article: Jury deliberating punishment in trial of Otis McKane, convicted of murdering SAPD Det. Benjamin MarconiThe jury in the Otis McKane capital trial is now deliberating his punishment for the slaying of San Antonio Police Det. Benjamin Marconi.
Watch ‘Open Court: The Otis McKane and Genene Jones Cases’ special
Read full article: Watch ‘Open Court: The Otis McKane and Genene Jones Cases’ specialAiring Saturday, July 10, a KSAT 12 Special “Open Court: The Otis McKane and Genene Jones Cases” details two gut-wrenching crime stories that have gripped South Texas.
What to know about the trial of Otis McKane, accused of murdering SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi
Read full article: What to know about the trial of Otis McKane, accused of murdering SAPD Det. Benjamin MarconiFive years after SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi’s slaying, Otis McKane will stand trial for capital murder beginning July 12.
Timeline: From the shocking killing of SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi to the murder trial of Otis McKane
Read full article: Timeline: From the shocking killing of SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi to the murder trial of Otis McKaneKSAT 12 looks back over the events of the past five years leading up to the trial of Otis McKane.
Open Court: 5 high-profile trials as courts resume; get to know Judge Yolanda Huff; farewell to a KSAT legend
Read full article: Open Court: 5 high-profile trials as courts resume; get to know Judge Yolanda Huff; farewell to a KSAT legendThis week, the first in-person jury trial is expected to take place since early 2020.
Jury selection resumes in trial of man charged in shooting death of SAPD detective after 4-month delay
Read full article: Jury selection resumes in trial of man charged in shooting death of SAPD detective after 4-month delaySAN ANTONIO – After a four-month delay, individual questioning of prospective jurors resumed in the capital murder trial of a man charged in the slaying of a San Antonio Police Department detective. Jury selection in the trial of Otis McKane was put on hold in December as the number of COVID-19 cases in Bexar County began to soar. The questioning is being conducted in the huge Central Jury Room of the Justice Center amid strict COVID-19 protocols, with social distancing and the wearing of masks enforced. “That definitely has changed things,” defense attorney Joel Perez said of how COVID-19 protocols are affecting jury selection. AdSince over four years have passed since the slaying, Perez said finding jurors may be slightly easier.
5 high-profile trials that could happen in San Antonio in 2021
Read full article: 5 high-profile trials that could happen in San Antonio in 2021When Bexar County District Courts reopen for trials there are five high-profile cases that might be in the docket for 2021. SAN ANTONIO – As Texas has “opened 100%”, the Bexar County courts remain closed to in-person and jury trials. These trials will take place in the 227th District Court by Judge Kevin O’Connell. AdWhen this retrial takes place it will be in the 144th District Court with Judge Michael Mery. When this trial is set it will take place in the 399th District Court with Judge Frank Castro presiding.
Jury selection in capital murder trial of accused cop killer to resume Monday
Read full article: Jury selection in capital murder trial of accused cop killer to resume MondaySAN ANTONIO – Jury selection will resume Monday in the capital murder trial of a man accused in the execution-style slaying of a San Antonio Police Department detective in 2016. It has been four and a half year years since veteran San Antonio Police Department Detective Benjamin Marconi was shot in the head at point blank range as he sat in his patrol car outside police headquarters. Jury selection in the capital murder trial of 35-year-old Otis McKane, Marconi’s accused killer, began last fall. AdStill, Rangel, who will preside over the trial, said he isn’t considering a change of venue. The Backstory: Otis McKane on trial for execution-style killing of SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi
Executions in Texas down in 2020, lowest since 1996
Read full article: Executions in Texas down in 2020, lowest since 1996SAN ANTONIO – The state of Texas executed three convicted killers and juries across the state handed down just two death sentences in 2020. In Bexar County, where the capital murder trial of accused cop killer Otis McKane is on hold due to COVID-19 concerns, there have been only two death sentences imposed since 2009. ”I think Bexar County is really emplematic of this shift, both in terms of jury rejections of the death penalty and prosecutors who are moving the county away from it,” said Kristin Cuellar, of the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty. Though Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales is seeking the death penalty for McKane, he has said that the death penalty should be sought only for “the worst of the worst.””Joe Gonzales is part of the wave of what we consider reform-oriented prosecutors who have pledged to be more limited in their use of the death penalty,” Cuellar said. Though COVID-19 concerns are part of the reason for the low number of Texas executions in 2020, Cuellar said that “the use of the death penalty has declined significantly over the last two decades.”Cuellar added that when the Texas Legislature convenes next week lawmakers will have two death penalty abolition bills to consider.
Spike in COVID-19 cases prompts Bexar County judge to temporarily postpone jury selection in capital murder trial
Read full article: Spike in COVID-19 cases prompts Bexar County judge to temporarily postpone jury selection in capital murder trialSAN ANTONIO – The jury selection process had qualified eight jurors in the capital murder trial of Otis McKane when it was temporarily suspended Friday by Bexar County District Judge Ron Rangel. The judge cited concerns over the growing number of positive COVID-19 cases in Bexar County as reason for halting the proceedings. “You could see that concern developing among the jury panel as we were bringing them in,” Fuchs said. The state is seeking the death penalty for McKane, 31, who is accused of fatally shooting veteran San Antonio Police Department Detective Ben Marconi. ”What he wants ultimately, in our case, is that the justice system and the jury decide our client’s fate.
It’s been four years since the death of San Antonio Det. Benjamin Marconi
Read full article: It’s been four years since the death of San Antonio Det. Benjamin MarconiSAN ANTONIO – Friday marks four years since San Antonio Police Department Det. Benjamin Marconi was shot and killed in the line of duty. Marconi, a 20-year veteran with SAPD, was shot and killed Nov. 20, 2016 while writing a ticket in his patrol car outside Public Safety Headquarters downtown. And today we remember Detective Marconi,” said SAPD chief William McManus just last year. The trial was supposed to take place earlier this year, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jury selection resumes in capital murder case involving man accused of killing SAPD Detective Ben Marconi
Read full article: Jury selection resumes in capital murder case involving man accused of killing SAPD Detective Ben MarconiSAN ANTONIO – Jury selection resumed today in the capital murder trial of Otis McKane, the man accused of shooting San Antonio Police Department Detective Ben Marconi at point-blank range. Jurors are being interviewed based on a questionnaire they completed in March before a moratorium on jury duty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Backstory: Otis McKane on trial for execution-style killing of SAPD Detective Benjamin MarconiJudge Ron Rangel of the 379th District Court, who will be presiding over the trial, says each juror gets questioned extensively regarding any potential bias or prejudices they may have. Both sides have requested the opportunity to add additional questions to this questionnaire because of the social unrest that’s been going on in the community this year. Rangel says he will accommodate.
Jury selection to resume Monday in trial of accused cop killer
Read full article: Jury selection to resume Monday in trial of accused cop killerSAN ANTONIO – When jury selection resumes Monday in the capital murder trial of Otis McKane, individual jurors will be interviewed based on a questionnaire they completed in March prior to a moratorium on jury duty ordered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “When you’re dealing with a death penalty case each individual juror gets questioned extensively regarding any potential bias or prejudices they may have,” said 379th District Judge Ron Rangel, who will be presiding over the trial. Jury selection will go slower than normal due to COVID-19 protocols, he said. “We’ve got to clean the entire courtroom between every juror, and that’s going to take time”, Rangel said. He predicted that jury selection will likely go well into January.
Police reform demonstrations to play role in accused cop killer’s trial in San Antonio
Read full article: Police reform demonstrations to play role in accused cop killer’s trial in San AntonioSAN ANTONIO – Jurors will be given a questionnaire addressing social issues raised during police reform demonstrations in the trial of a man charged with killing a San Antonio police officer. Rangel said the questionnaire will address social issues raised during demonstrations this summer in San Antonio and across the country. McKane, who is Black, is accused of slaying San Antonio Police Department Detective Ben Marconi, who was white. Rangel said the questionnaire will also include questions about bias and prejudice. Both the prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that the supplemental questionnaire was necessary.
Court debrief: What to expect on the 2020 docket
Read full article: Court debrief: What to expect on the 2020 docketCourt debrief: What to expect on the 2020 docketPublished: January 3, 2020, 9:31 amCases of accused Medical Center rapist Anton Harris, "baby killer" Genene Jones and accused cop killer Otis McKane are on trial dockets at the beginning of this year.