Francisco Lopez found guilty, sentenced to 28 years for 2019 murder in South Austin
A Travis County jury found Francisco Lopez Jr., 36, guilty of murder on Thursday and sentenced him to 28 years in prison for the 2019 death of Guillermo Bernal Gomez, 32.
In the early hours of June 23, 2019, a 911 caller reported a man "slumped over" with blood on his arms in a South Austin apartment complex. When officers responded, they found Gomez dead with multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators eventually discovered that Gomez had been with Lopez and a man named Evan Zanders shortly before his death.
Witnesses told investigators that Gomez was involved in selling drugs and owed people a "substantial amount of money," Zanders' arrest affidavit said.
Zanders was initially arrested in February 2020 on an unrelated charge and told officers that he wanted to make a statement about Gomez's death. He then told investigators that Lopez had asked him to set up a fake drug deal with Gomez. According to court documents, Zanders said that Lopez had shot and killed Gomez.
Zanders was consequently charged with murder in connection to Gomez's death. Under Texas' "law of parties," a person can be held criminally responsible for someone else's actions if they acted as an accomplice. Zanders pleaded guilty to murder in January 2023 and is currently serving a 36-year sentence in jail.
Shortly after Zanders' statement to police, an arrest warrant for Lopez was also issued. He was taken into custody by a U.S. Marshals Service task force in Kyle.
Lopez's trial began on Monday and lasted three days.
During the trial, Lopez testified that it was Zanders who had shot and killed Gomez. Lopez described his and Zanders' involvement in a drug-dealing operation under someone he believed was in a cartel. Lopez said that he had not reported the shooting to police because he feared for his life and the lives of his family members.
On the stand, Lopez said that he was telling the truth and was not trying to make excuses for his actions.
Lopez was sentenced on Friday.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man sentenced to 28 years in prison for 2019 murder in South Austin
