DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News ) – Testimony is underway in a Dallas County courtroom in the murder trial involving a slain American Airlines executive.
Jury selection in 49-year-old Darrin Lopez’ trial began on Monday and testimony started Tuesday morning.
Lopez is accused of driving from his home in Tennessee to Dallas and fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend’s husband James Faith as the couple walked their dog outside their Oak Cliff home on October 9, 2020.
Lopez and Jennifer Faith were high school and college sweethearts. Investigators believe the two were having an affair.
Court records show in April of 2020, Jennifer Faith encouraged Lopez to commit the murder by using fake email accounts to pose as her husband. She sent Lopez emails about “extreme physical and sexual abuse that never occurred.”
Jennifer Faith pleaded guilty of using interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire in February 2022.
About a month after Lopez’ arrest, Jennifer Faith was charged with obstruction of justice after police said she deleted text messages between herself and Lopez.
She was sentenced to life in prison last year.
During opening statements in Lopez’ trial, prosecutors argued he and Jennifer Faith plotted James’ murder together.
The defense contends Jennifer manipulated Lopez into believing she was in danger.
On the first day of testimony, jurors first heard from those who knew the Faith couple.
Emery Wilson was the Faith’s neighbor and told jurors what he heard the morning of the murder.
“About how many gunshots did you hear? ‘Seven or eight.’ “And what did you hear after the gunshots?” ‘Very loud screams,” he said during the state’s questioning.
Wilson said he had an immediate reaction to the chaos.
“What did you do at that time?” ‘As soon as I heard the gunshots I jumped up and as soon as I heard screaming I ran out of the house,” he said.
Jurors also heard from Dallas Police Homicide Detective Chris Walton who was asked about the way Jennifer Faith had been tied up after the killing.
“How could this small piece of duct tape tie her down? That was my initial reaction,” he said.
In addition to the murder charge, Lopez faces a federal charge of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony offense.
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