Snapped: Women Who Murder - Minnie Salinas

Episode Date: July 10, 2022

Police race for answers after a school teacher is found murdered in her San Antonio, Texas, apartment; while lies and betrayals come to light, the case goes cold, but one detective refuses to give up.Season 28, Episode 21Originally aired: January 24, 2021Watch full episodes of Snapped for FREE on the Oxygen app: https://oxygentv.app.link/WatchSnappedPodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of Wondries Podcast American Scandal. Our newest series looks at the story of OxyContin, a popular painkiller that helps spur an epidemic of addiction and drug abuse, in which prompted a broad campaign to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable. Listen to American Scandal on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. She was a beloved schoolte teacher dedicated to her students. This was a kindergarten teacher that was so well-loved. I always tell her she looked like it's no white.

But when gunshots ring out on a warm spring day, friends and family are left speechless. I was shocked. It didn't make any sense. Detectives learn this educator may have been caught in the crossfire of a forbidden love affair. Somebody had specifically targeted her. As police race to identify their shooter, they discover a string of lies, threats, and a frightening ultimatum. She started going through a divorce,

and people started seeing the change in her. He portrayed her as a troublemaker that had to go. After years of tracking a killer, a shocking development will finally reveal the truth. It was the piece that the state needed in order to go forward on the case. It just seems to tie everything together. These two people had sociopathic tendencies.

She is sleeping with the devil, and the devil has a mistress. and the devil has a mistress. It's 4 p.m. when 29-year-old Jim Guevara arrives at the San Antonio Texas apartment he shares with his wife, 32-year-old Valia Guevara. The energy apartment, there was a hallway leading off toward a bedroom. He calls for his wife, and he didn't hear anything. He goes to a couple of different rooms

then he encounters her by in a hog. He saw Velia on her back. She was unresponsive and stiff and pale. He called 911. As first responders arrive at the scene, Shelley Stelser, an assistant apartment manager, and friend of Velia, is drawn outside. There were fire trucks in front of Velia's apartment.

When my manager went to ask what had happened, one of the firemen did tell her there was an accident or a heart attack. I was shocked. It didn't make any sense. How could she have a heart attack when I just saw her earlier that morning and she was fine? And she was fine.

And she was fine. Valia Acosta was born in San Antonio, Texas on November 22nd, 1960. One of three girls. Valia and her sisters were raised in a childhood steeped in faith. We went to a really very small Catholic girl school called Providence. You have to know that if parents take the effort and the time to send their kids to Catholic schools, then you know that that plays a big part in their overall family life the way they believe.

Bright and beautiful, Valia easily made friends. She was just lovely, but the only way to describe the person that I remember. She was very lively and bubbly, and she had beautiful, fair skin and black hair. I always tell her she looked like snow white. After graduating from high school, Valia attended college where she earned a degree in education, eventually finding work as a kindergarten teacher. This was a kindergarten teacher that was so well loved.

And when you walk into school when you're five years old and you have your first teacher, and it's somebody who is sweet and is caring and is gentle and soft-spoken as Vellia, think of what that does. It's a foundation for every other year after that. Velia dreamed of having children of her own one day. And when she met the handsome Jim Guevara, she thought that dream may come true.

They had known each other for a little while. He thought she was so pretty, so he finally just kind of said, you know, I really want to go out with you and they start going out and, you know, they seemed really happy. He was a very ambitious fellow. He wanted to move up in the world. He was always looking for ways to work contacts, to play the corporate game, so to speak.

Jim worked for a prominent newspaper in town, the San Antonio Light. He was a very funny guy. He was very easygoing and he was very nice. She loved him very nice. She loved him very much. In 1990, after a couple years of dating, Jim popped the question.

She was so happy when they got engaged, when when they got married, she was just elated. All I remember was her bringing the ring to church at choir practice and showing everybody and we're all very happy for her. For Valia and Jim, it was an exciting time. The newly-wedz rented a charming apartment in downtown San Antonio

and began dreaming of starting a family. She wanted to have children. She was very much looking forward to becoming mother. But becoming parents would have to wait. In early 1993, the newspaper Jim worked for shut down. We had two newspapers here in San Antonio. He worked for the one that ended up getting essentially bought out, and so he was out of a job.

I saw her every week, twice a week, you know. And out of the blue, she just started crying, like, just broke down in tears, and just put her head on my lap and balled her eyes out. And I was just, I was in shock. I didn't know what was going on. She was a private person, and didn't want to trouble people

with problems, especially about marriage. But she was just very sad. It was really hard. However, Jim felt confident that he would soon find new work and the couple hoped that better days lay ahead. They were living in an apartment at the time, so I know they wanted to buy a house eventually. I know she wanted to have children.

But on May 26, 1993, the couple's hopes for a bright future fade when Jim finds Valia unresponsive in their apartment. When first responders approach her body, they quickly realize it's much too late to help Valia. When her lifeless body was found there on the floor and the MS check her out, there's an initial pronouncement of death

right there at the scene. Valia was shot three times. She had to have been dead for several hours. right there at the scene. The value was shot three times. She had to have been dead for several hours. It's clear this death was no accident. When I arrived, I could see what appeared to be three gunshot wounds to the abdomen. I didn't see any kind of struggle at the scene. So I suspected that value maybe knew the person who shot her.

We also suspected that maybe she had walked in and the person who shot and killed her had already been there, you know, basically waiting for her. There was not a lot of blood which would indicate to me that she died very quickly after being shot. There were a lot of questions, obviously, from the initial crime scene. We wanted to know what would have led somebody to kill this young lady. I don't know what could have happened,

and who would want to murder her. I thought that had to do with a crime of fashion, maybe. Coming up, police attempt to piece together what happened inside the Gavara home. Whoever got in there just walked right in. And detectives tracked down their first suspects in the case. My gut instinct was that the husband might be involved. I asked if he was having any kind of affair.

She seemed to be kind of watching the building where Vellia's apartment was. On May 26, 1993, San Antonio Police descend upon the apartment complex, where 32-year-old Velia Guevara has just been found shot to death. In 1993, San Antonio police descend upon the apartment complex where 32-year-old Valia Guevara has just been found shot to death. She was shot, I believe, three times. And she did have ridomortis at the time, so she had been there for a while.

After an initial examination of the scene inside the apartment, Detective Daniel Gonzales moves outside to speak to Valia's husband, Jim Guevara. James was basically saying, look, we have no problems. It was the standard, happy couple story. My gut instinct was that the husband might be involved. He said he had come home from a day of playing golf and having found his door ajar, went inside and discovered that his wife had been shot and killed.

We had to check it out, obviously. But it was something we needed to look into. When a quick phone call confirms that Jim was at the golf course earlier in the day, police asked him for other potential suspects. He said there were some problems in the apartment complex with burglaries. Operating on this tip, investigators survey the crime scene. There was no sign of any kind of forced entry to the apartment.

The door had not been pried. There were no windows broken. Whoever got in there just walked right in. And they didn't find any valuables missing. It didn't look like an apartment that had been the subject of a burglary or a robbery or anything of that type. So that immediately caused the police to believe that that was not what happened here.

Detective Gonzales and his team take a closer look at the victim. The initial evidence that was obvious to us at the scene, there were two bullets recovered that had gone through Velia's body. She was shot three times. We also found a single 9-millimeter shell casing near the body. It was on a couch nearby. Police failed to find the remaining two shell casings,

but they do find ammunition elsewhere in the home. In a closet, we found spent nine minimum shelf casings. Casings that are already been shot. All of these had been expended. It had been processed through a handgun or handguns before, but they no longer had the gunpowder or the packing in it. Whenever there's a shooting, the initial thought is to look for the gun and track what kind of gun it was

that would have fired these bullets. is to look for the gun and track what kind of gun it was that would have fired these bullets. They got a consent to search James' car, and inside his car, they found other 9-millimeter shell casings. Also, when we searched Jim's car, we found a ponticot receipt for a 9-millimeter handgun in Jim Gawar's name. This heightened suspicion that he might somehow be involved.

The discovery prompts detectives to invite Jim back to the station for a more detailed interview. Basically, we started asking more probing questions once we got down to the homicide office. I asked if he suspected his life of having any kind of affair and he said he did not. I asked if he was involved with anyone and he said he was not.

When Detective Gonzales confronts him about the spent casings found at the scene, Jim explains that he retrieved them while using a rented 9-millimeter gun at a local shooting range. He claimed he had picked up the shell casings that he had fired because his brother-in-law actually re-elected ammunition, and that's why he picked up the shell casings.

He explained that the shell casings in the car were from that and the shell casings in his closet were from that also. As for the pawn receipt recovered from his car, Jim admits to detectives that he was in the process of purchasing a gun. The explanation that he gave was that he had a 9-millimeter gun on layaway, and he was planning on getting that gun.

Another detective actually called the pawn shop and confirmed that the gun in question was still physically at that location at the time. With a seemingly credible explanation, police begin to view Jim less like a suspect and more like a grieving husband. There was really no new red flags at that time. We told him we'd like to continue speaking with him

and we would stay in touch and if he thought of anything to call us. Back at the crime scene, Valleas' body is transported to the coroner's office for an official autopsy. The information from the autopsy would help us focus the investigation a little bit. Next, officers canvass Jim and Valey as apartment building for any possible witnesses.

Speaking with the building's assistant manager, Shelley Stelser, they learn the management office received some odd anonymous phone calls earlier that day. She had received one or two phone calls from somebody claiming that the victim's car lights were on in the parking lot. I just thought that was strange. That someone had left multiple messages about a car, having its lights on in the parking lot,

which is not really something most people are concerned enough to leave more than one message about. It seemed kind of puzzling to us in the office. Um, why that was so urgent. Shelly tells police that when she phoned Valia about the calls, she reached her answering machine. A little bit later that morning, Valia came by my office. She was walking her dog.

She said thanks for the message. She was actually not working that day. It was some school holiday. Valia came to the leasing office and reported to them that she went and not working that day. It was some school holiday. Velya came to the leasing office and reported to them that she went and checked on her car and the lights were not on. And that's the last time they saw her. She went off walking with her dog.

According to Shelley, when Velya left their office around 10 a.m., everything seemed fine. She was cheerful, upbeat. She was boys that way when we saw her. Mistets are also said that about 10 o'clock that morning, a lady had come in to ask to use the telephone at the office, some woman that she'd never seen before. She seemed kind of startled when we asked if we could help her.

After speaking to Shelley, police learned the maintenance man also saw the same woman on the apartment property. She seemed to be kind of watching the building where value is apartment was. We felt that this woman might somehow be involved. We needed to find her. Coming up, could a bitter ex-employee

be responsible for Valia's killing? Jim gave this explanation that he had been involved in the firing of somebody, and that this person had not taken it well. And investigators uncover a secret life, built on lies, and irresistible temptation. They started out as friends, but she had other intentions. In the spring of 1993,

investigator Daniel Gonzalez is determined to find the person responsible for killing 32-year-old elementary school teacher, Valia Guevara. There were some people who saw this woman the value of apartment. There was another piece of the puzzle. It was just a matter of defining the person that did this. His focus now is to try and identify the mysterious woman seen at Valiya's apartment complex on the day of the murder. Someone was prowling the parking lot.

At some point, she went into the lease office and asked to use a phone. But she decided she doesn't want to use their phone and she leaves. But she decides she doesn't want to use their phone and she leaves. While the woman's identity remains a mystery, detectives hope Valia's autopsy can shed some light on her death. She was shot three times in the abdomen area and one of those ended up severing her spine or spinal column. A nine-millimeter slug removed from the body is consistent with the projectiles

found at the crime scene. When I spoke to one of the investigators, he estimated the time of death between 9 o'clock and 11 o'clock in the morning that day. This information coincides with the time the unidentified woman was seen at the apartment complex. It made us believe we were on the right track that somebody had specifically targeted Valia.

Digging deeper into Valia's background, detectives reach out to the school where Valia worked. Speaking to the principal, investigators learn that Valia was being harassed prior to her death. Valia worked at a school. This person would call and ask for her, usually hang up when value got on the phone. Sometimes she would speak with her.

It was always a female that was doing this. Would say things like, hello, hello, hello, pretending that they can't hear when value is trying to speak to them. She was getting these at work often. So there was this harassment in the background that was going on. The principal said she could see that whatever was said,

obviously upset Valia. To try and determine who may be behind to the disturbing calls, detectives bring in Valia's husband, Jim, for an additional interview. But as the conversation begins, police are alerted to a surprising development when yet another caller comes forward with details on the case. During the interview, another detective interrupted me

and said there was a phone call for me, so I went and took the phone call, and it turned out to be Tina Timmerman. Detective Gonzales learns the caller is one of Jim's former co-workers from the San Antonio Light newspaper. Tina claims to have some important information for investigators.

She told the police you might want to know that James Guevara, the husband of the woman that she found murdered, has been having a fair with this woman, many Salinas, the last three years. Tina told me that Jim and Minnie had been co-workers. Minnie was a secretary at the San Antonio Light at the time, and that she noticed that Minnie was fructacious toward Jim.

And that after a while, that Jim and many had become involved. Obviously, it was kind of scandalous. They started out as friends, but she had other intentions and he was willing to go along. So once Tina told us this information, you know, went back and continued the interview with Jim and brought these things up at which point he admitted the affair. He said that he began an affair with minisalinas prior to the time that he was married to Velia. And in fact, the first time that Jim Bavara

and minisalinas engaged in sexual intercourse was two or three days before Jim and Vellio were married. Ah, the Bahamas. What if you could hang out with celebrities living a penthouse above the crystal clear ocean with all your best friends and have it be 100% paid for? FTX Founder Sam Bankman freed made that dream a reality, but U.S. prosecutors say he was hiding a dark secret. Barely 30-the-young crypto billionaire became a powerful financial figure, but in just

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Hey, prime members, you can listen to episodes ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. Given this startling new information, police must consider if Jim's mistress could be behind Valiya's murder. Jim was adamant to us that he didn't believe many had killed Valia. When asked who he thought might have been harassing Valia

or causing these kind of problems, he mentioned Eva Pettas. Jim gave this explanation that he had been involved in the firing of somebody a few years back at the newspaper where he was working and that this person had not taken it well. And so he believed that was the person that was actually doing this harassment. He portrayed him a pettis. There's a troublemaker that had to go like she was very angry about him firing her. Hearing Jim's indictment of Iva, police now have two new suspects to consider.

Eventually, I locate Eva Perez and I interview her to very cooperative. I was like pretty scared because I was like, you know, like, what do you mean? They think I did it. Like, I haven't even talked to this guy. I don't even know what he was doing at the time. Eva tells detectives that Jim was her boss and confesses they had an adverse relationship. He was very hard to work with, really, hostile, very rude,

male-sauvenist, just really hard to get along. The friction he had with Emma Pettas, she believed it was because she was trying to organize a union. But Eva tells police that when she left her job, she harbored no ill will to Jim or the company. There wasn't any disagreement or anything. I left in good stand, didn't ever think anything of it.

Most importantly, Eva is able to provide police with a rock solid alibi for the day of the murder. I actually was in California, so I had to fly in. They started to ask me questions about where I was the day that his wife died. And I'm like, I've been in California this whole time. I've not been in San Antonio. She did not seem to me to be holding any kind of grudge against Jim.

He even had nothing to do with this murder. With Eva cleared, police decide it's time to take a long look at the other woman in Jim's life is mistress, mini-cellinus. life is mistress, mini-cellinus. Born on December 13, 1963, mini-bronte-cellinus grew up in the small town of Sebastian, Texas. It's just a tiny little farm community in the middle of nowhere. When she was a young woman, she wanted

to study to work with deaf children. Eventually, Minnie decided to take a different career path, one that landed her a job in the circulation department of Jim Guevara's employer, the San Antonio Light newspaper. She was an executive secretary at the light so she had administrative skills. She was married and two kids and it looked like she and her husband got along well. But soon after starting her new job, Minnie's marriage was on the rocks. She was very reserved, very quiet. And then I think she started going through a divorce,

and people started seeing the change in her. Many started dressing more provocatively at work and flirting with co-workers. Obviously, that's how she ended up getting involved with James shortly before he actually married Belia. After the newspaper shut its doors, Minnie found work with a local insurance company. Despite the new job, Minnie still managed to carry on

her romance with Jim. Minnie was having an affair, a long time affair with James Guabara for the last three years. The information obtained by police shoots many to the top of their suspect list. Now, they just need to find her. They wanted to get answers, and they thought the best way to do that was to get many on the record.

Coming up, detectives catch up with Jim's combative mistress. That was like flipping a switch or demeanor totally changed. And a motive for Valiya's death comes into focus. She says, you got to June 1st to tell her and file for divorce, or I'm out of this relationship. -♪ San Antonio detectives are working the theory that Jim Guevara's 29-year-old mistress, minisalinus, may be responsible for the murder

of his wife, Velia Guevara. We've got the name of his lover. We've got the mystery woman, the apartment complex. The next step would be to see if we can get many silliness identified as that mystery woman. Police attempt to locate many at both her apartment and the insurance company where she works to Nilevel. Instead, they speak to her employers

to learn more about her whereabouts on the day of the murder. They had a magnetic card system there that it recorded when she came into the office and when she left the office. The security system said that many had arrived to work at 6.41 on the morning of the murder. And the next entry into the security system said she had arrived at work at 10.41.

In that four-hour period, there was no corresponding exit from the location. That seemed odd. If you're going to log in to a building, it's going to log you out when you leave as well. So that indicated to me that she had logged in at 6.41, but it never actually entered the building, and then logged in at 10.41. Even more intriguing for police is that the four-hour time gap aligns with the time of Valleia's murder.

That means that Minisalina's had the opportunity to have committed the murder. She was not at work between the hour from the murder occurred. Before leaving Minis work, detectives obtain a copy of her employee ID photo, along with pictures of five of Minis' female co-workers, and and head to Valia's apartment complex on May 28th. Detective Rupp showed Shelly the six-photographs that he had prepared or that he had picked up. He asked me if any of those were the women who had come in the office and asked to use the phone that day.

And I picked out Minnie Solists from the six photos. With a positive idea on Mini, on June 1st, a second attempt by Detective Gonzalez to locate his suspect finally pays off. I went to her workplace. I asked if she would be equivalent to come down to speak with me and she agreed. Once I began to her workplace, asked if she would be willing to come down to speak with me and she agreed. Once I began interviewing her,

she readily admitted the affair. She said that she had given Jim an ultimatum by June 1st to decide about their relationship with her Jim wanted to be with her or whether he wanted to be with Vellia. Many denies ever making any threats to Valia. As for her whereabouts on the day of the shooting, many hasn't answered for that, too. She said she was at the doctor's office at the time this was committed.

Which would have been consistent with the fact that she only put the card in her workplace for her entry purposes and then decided to turn around, is because she felt that, even though she went into work a few hours later. Many even offers up a printed record of her time at the doctor's office. It shows, you know, at, uh, May 26th at, you know, 9.30 or 10 o'clock in the morning

when, uh, we we all believe and the evidence shows that value was murdered in her apartment that many slinest was at a doctor's appointment. Despite the fact that many attempts to provide an alibi, detectives confront her with the fact that she was spotted by a witness at the crime scene within hours of the murder. That was like flipping a switch or demeanor totally changed.

She, uh, she had very belligerent, very angry, basically denied that she was seen there, started cussing me out. At that point, she storms out of the interview, because she's free to go at that point. She's not under arrest. With many currently free, police work to solidify their case against her.

We found one of many's friends, a young lady by the name of Perla Velasquez. I spoke with Perla and learned that many Selenis had contacted her the night of the murder. Perla said many were very nervous and very upset. She'd come over to Perla's apartment. The news was on. Many said it had police suspected it was a burglary, and many also told Perla that it happened

about 10 o'clock in the morning. This is significant because the autopsy revealed that that was probably the time the murder occurred, but that was not public knowledge. We didn't really set to the media. She also told Perla that she had to get rid of Jim's gun, so she admitted to Perla that Jim had a gun. In fact, I think she said that she had to get rid of Jim's

9-millimeter. The call from Perla directly contradicts Jim Guevara's statement that he didn't yet own a 9-millimeter handgun. 9 millimeter. The call from Perla directly contradicts Jim Guevara's statement that he didn't yet own a 9 millimeter handgun. A forensic analysis of shell casings recovered from the crime scene adds further suspicion to Jim's story. The two or the three shell casings found in Jim's car

match the shell case in that we believe was from the murder weapon. When detectives analyze the medical note that shows many at the doctor on the morning of the murder, they make another shocking discovery. You got a nurse who can tell us, these are doctored records. These look like they've been in some way changed.

And the date and the time had been changed. Investigators now believe Jim and Minnie had been planning Valia's murder for some time. I think they both had the same ultimate goal was that Jim and Minnie wanted to be together, and I think Val yes stood in the way of them being together. There are a lot of reasons why spouses stay with each other a lot of times it's religious. Having been raised very strictly Catholic we don't get divorces that's the way we believe.

So in Valius case it's very possible that it had everything to do with the way we were raised. Detectives believe that Jim set up his golf game on the day of the murder so that he would have a solid alibi, while many went to their apartment complex. While James was at the golf course, there were several calls that came into the apartment complex indicating that the lady in Vallejo's apartment had left her lights on her vehicle. Velia left the apartment door unlocked, and while she went down to check on her lights that were not on, then many Salinas snuck into

the apartment and waited for her to return. Upon Velius' return, she murdered her. The working theory was that James came into the house, saw two cartridge casings laying on the floor, would she picked up and took to his car and dropped off and missed the one sitting on the couch. Everything about the investigation pointed to James Guevara and Minisilinas as being the perpetrators

of this crime. It was decided we would just walk the warn on Minisilinas. Since Jim obviously didn't pull the trigger, he might have knowledge of it. He might be involved in it, but I think the DA's office at the time was not confident that they could proceed with a case against Jim at that time.

On August 30th, 1993, Mini is arrested at work. She was basically silent, cold as ice. She wouldn't answer any questions. cold as ice. She wouldn't answer any questions. Minnie's reluctance to cooperate puts the heavily circumstantial case in jeopardy. The DA's office dismissed the case. I didn't agree with it. I thought that it was a good case. I just thought that the DA's office at the time just didn't want to try a tough case.

Daniel, he shelves the case. but he doesn't close it out. He leaves it as an open case, and he waits. He just buys his time. I felt we had the right people from the start. We just needed somebody with the will and the political backbone to take a tough case to trial. Coming up, a shocking development resurrects a long cold case.

It was important in connecting them up and showing that there was this plan and this conspiracy. And an unprecedented decision in court stirs things up. She requests to the judge if she could go pray on the matter. I've been prosecuting for 25 years, but this is a first. In the fall of 1993, the case against 29-year-old mini-cellenus for the murder of San Antonio schoolteacher, Valia Guevara, has just been dismissed.

After the case got dismissed by the District Attorney's Office, I was still in the homicide unit, so I kind of worked around the periphery. I would make phone calls to the family members and people who had knowledge about the murder to see if any new information was received over the years. In 1995, an important detail related to the investigation is exposed in a seemingly unrelated court case involving Jim and Vilius family. Time goes by and James makes a claim to the insurance company

for Vilius insurance policy. He was trying to claim the teacher retirement fund as the spouse, the surviving spouse, and Vilius parents weren't having it. So they got an attorney, and they brought suit against him. Belius family fought James Guevara over the life insurance of teachers' life-fender fits. It was a modest amount of money.

It was $50,000. They settled a suit and, uh, the parents get $25 grand. He gets $25 grand. He gets 25 grand. While the settlement brings an end to the lawsuit, something said during Jim's deposition reignites the case against him and his alleged lover. As part of that suit, James was given a deposition where their attorney was able to ask him questions.

And part of those questions included, have you talked to Minis Alinas? You know, once the last time you talked to her. He indicated that he had not seen Minis Alinas for years. He didn't know where she was. He had no contact with her. Once the settlement occurs, which I believe is on June 21st of 1995. So James gets his check cut from that settlement.

Ten days after the settlement of that lawsuit, Danny Gonzalez discovered that James Guevara and Minnie Salinas were married in Las Vegas, Nevada. And I think at the time, when he married her, she was seven months pregnant with his child. So now the state knows that he has lied in a deposition about even being in contact with many salinas. It was the piece that the state needed in order

to go forward on the case. It just seems to tie everything together that the motive for this murder was about what Jim wanted to be with many. Armed with this new information, Detective Gonzales is given a second chance at finding justice after a new DA is sworn in in 1999. I took the case over again to the new district attorney,

basically with no new information, but I had filed in 93. It was pretty much the same as what I had filed in 99. We kind of talked about the case, and everybody kind of looked at each other wondering, why didn't we file on James Kavara? He seems just as guilty because it looks like they've got together and did it.

This boosted the case forward towards a grand jury indictment and they were formally charged. In February of 2000, nearly seven years after Valia's murder, Jim's lawyers do their best to defend a client that cheated on his spouse. I went to a lot of other points as far as what the evidence was, but my big issue I still remember was like, yeah, the guy's a son of a bitch, but that didn't mean he killed anybody.

The defense attorney basically told the jury that it needs to be more proof than this. And thankfully, the jury found him guilty in short order. With Jim's trial over, prosecutors moved to try many in July of 2000. Many's case was different because our theory was that many was a shooter and James was a participant. So now the focus is just on many,

but the same evidence is used. The focus is just on Mini, but the same evidence is used. Shelley, the assistant manager, was crucial as far as being able to ID Mini-Selena-Sis being at the location, because that's the closest thing to direct evidence that you have. But Mini's attorney argues his client's guilt cannot be based solely on this one witness. There was nothing to put many at the scene, except these very obscure identification issues. There were no prints, there were no firearms recovered. So there was really no forensic evidence to tie many to this offense at all.

Following seven days of compelling testimony, the jury begins deliberations. But after 16 hours, they are unable to reach a unanimous verdict. It ended in a mischievous way. There were two holdouts. There were clearly people who sided with many and who were not afraid to show they did not believe many committed this offense.

So they dismissed the jury and I believe in March of the next year, 2001, she went to trial again. When it's time for the new jurors to begin deliberations, the trial once again takes a surprising turn. I believe it was a female juror, was struggling with, you know, some very heavy decisions regarding the guilt or innocence of many Salinas. And she requested to the judge if she could go pray on the matter

at the San Fernando Cathedral, which is right across from the courthouse. I've been prosecuting for 25 years, but this is a first, and it's the only time it's ever happened. They did go there, and they were there, at, say, 30 minutes, and they came back, and probably after another 30 minutes,

sent a note with the bailiff back to the court saying we have a verdict. Prosecutors now wonder, will divine intervention ultimately decide the verdict in the murder of this woman of faith? She was found guilty of murder, and the jury sentenced her to 50 years for that murder. 50 years is a long time to be in prison.

I think it's a just sentence. The tragedy of this case is, of course, Velia. She is sleeping with the devil, and the devil has a mistress. These two people had sociopathic tendencies. They only cared about what they could do for each other and be damned the rest of the world. Though the end of the trial brings relief,

the pain of losing Velia never fades. Velia was a very sweet, gentle, beautiful soul who didn't deserve what she got. All the children that she should have taught, missed out on a great teacher, all the friends that she had missed her very much. And her family, I can't imagine. In 2000, Jim Govera was sentenced to life in prison for his role in his wife's murder.

Due to a trial error, Jim's conviction was overturned in 2005. The following year, he was retried and convicted by a second jury. He is currently serving a life sentence in Brasoria County, Texas. Minneapolis, Alina, continues to serve her 50-year sentence in a Texas prison. Salinas continues to serve for 50-year sentence in a Texas person.