The Zavala-Garcia Murder Trial to Begin in About Six Months

TYLER – The Smith County capital murder trial for Gustavo Zavala-Garcia is still set, at least for right now, to begin in October. During a Wednesday pretrial hearing, State District Judge Jack Skeen said he will not sign the defense’s motion for continuance until he hears if additional DNA testing is needed. That could be answered with some trace results that are expected to be released at the end of the month. Zavala-Garcia is accused of kidnapping Kayla Gomez from a Bullard church in November of last year. Her body was found days later in a well on the man’s property. According to an arrest affidavit, a witness said they saw the man with Kayla shortly before she disappeared.