STARKVILLE — Moments after taking her seat on the witness stand, fighting back tears even before the first question had been asked, the young woman was instructed to point out the defendant.
Gasping for air and clutching a tissue in her left hand, she raised her violently trembling right hand and pointed in the direction of the defense table — a young woman identifying her grandmother in the trial of her murdered father, the witness’ mother having already pleaded guilty in the case.
For 2 1/2 often heart-wrenching hours, the testimony of Alexa Vasquez, 24, dominated Monday’s opening day of the first-degree murder trial of Lydia Martinez in the June 24, 2015, death of Manuel Vasquez at the family’s home in New Hope.
The trial is being held in Oktibbeha County with Judge Lee Coleman presiding.
Christina Martinez, wife of Manuel Vasquez, daughter of Lydia Martinez and mother of Alexa Vasquez, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death in 2019.
Although arrested for murder along with her daughter in July 2015, Lydia Martinez, 61, was initially indicted only for accessory after the fact.
But by 2019, the prosecution, led by District Attorney Scott Colom, came to believe her role in the death of Manuel Vasquez was not as a reluctant participant in a cover-up, but as an active participant in the murder, and the charges were elevated to first-degree murder.
Throughout the first day’s testimony, Colom attempted to place Lydia Martinez in the middle of every stage of the planning, murder and cover-up, calling five witnesses — including Alexa’s brother, Alec Vasquez, 22, who initially refused to take the stand, but ultimately provided largely inconsistent testimony in response to questions from Colom and defense attorney Arthur Calderon.
But it was Alexa Vasquez’s testimony that proved most compelling — and perhaps most damning, At one point, she recounted a conversation where her grandmother approached her to ask permission to kill her father after Manuel had taken Alexa’s car away for attending her senior prom in defiance of his wishes.
Alexa said the relationship between her parents became strained after the family relocated to Lowndes County from their home in San Antonio, Texas. She said the decision to move was made by Manuel, who wanted to pursue a more religious lifestyle near friends who held similar religious views in Mississippi, among them Paul Vega.
“When my dad became more religious, my mom did not agree with it, so it caused tension between them,” Alexa said.
‘He would always tell me bye’
The testimony of Alexa, her brother, Alec, and a law enforcement recording of the defendant, which was played for the jury later in the day, told the story of a father whose religious zeal had started to alienate him from his family.
Alexa testified her father did not want her to wear makeup, cut her hair or wear short skirts or dresses. Alec said his father had liked sports and encouraged his sons to play sports before moving to Mississippi, but discouraged them after his religious views began to become more strict.
In the police recording made on July 21, 2015, after the family had reported Manuel Vasquez missing, Lydia Martinez said that Manuel attended Bible studies at Paul Vega’s home, but did not attend any church because Vega told him “all churches were (prostitutes).”
In the recording, she said Vega told Manuel that sports were a bad influence on his children and that if his daughter went to the prom, she would become pregnant. She said Christina had talked about getting a divorce.
The tipping point, the prosecution appeared to argue, was the prom.
Alexa said that while her father forbade her from going to the prom, her mother and grandmother were supportive.
“My mom, she planned everything,” Alexa said, saying that her mother planned a trip to San Antonio for herself and Manuel at the time of the prom, which would allow Alexa to attend the prom without her father’s knowledge while under her grandmother’s supervision.
Alexa testified that her father later learned that she had defied his wishes.
“I wasn’t a good daughter to him,” she said, breaking down in tears.
Upon learning she had attended the prom, her father became angry, taking away her car keys, she said. Soon afterward, she said, she heard Manuel and Lydia Martinez arguing, although she couldn’t hear what they were saying.
Alexa said that she had just gotten out of the shower a short time later when Lydia came into her room.
“She was full of emotion because she has been arguing with my dad,” Alexa said.
Colom asked her what her grandmother said to her, but Alexa broke down and was unable to answer clearly.
“Did she ask you if she could have permission to kill your father, Manuel Vasquez?” Colom asked.
“Yes,” she said softly.
“Was she serious?”
“Yes,” Alexa answered.
“Did your mother ever say anything about could she kill your father?” Colom asked.
“She offered to beat herself with an orange to make it look like he hit her,” Alexa said.
“But she didn’t say anything about killing your father?” Colom asked.
“No,” she said.
Calderon asked Alexa if Lydia had actually asked for permission to kill her father.
“I don’t remember the exact words,” Alexa said.
Days later, on the morning of June 24, Alexa said she had gotten out of bed and was met by her mother at the bottom of the stairs.
“She asked me if I had heard any bangs that night and I told her I hadn’t,” Alexa said.
Her mother also told her that her father had left the home early that morning to go on a religious retreat, something that disturbed her, Alexa testified.
“I asked her why he didn’t tell me goodbye,” she said, sobbing. “He would always tell me bye. Even in the middle of the night, he always woke us up to say goodbye.”
Alec Vasquez said he was awakened by two “popping noises” that night and when he got up to see what had happened, he saw his grandmother holding a gun.
But on cross-examination, Alec said he saw his grandmother leaving her upstairs bedroom — Manuel’s and Christina’s bedroom was downstairs — when he got up to check out the noises. Also under cross, Alec agreed with Calderon’s statement that he had previously said he had seen Martinez holding a gun case.
On redirect, Colom asked Alec if it was a gun or a gun case he saw in his grandmother’s hand or whether she was upstairs or downstairs when he saw her.
Alec Vasquez said he could not remember.
Other witnesses included Phillip Brown, owner of Brown’s Farm Supply, and Rosie Turner, whose grandson was dating Alexa Vasquez at the time.
Brown testified that a 2x2x6 galvanized water tank had been purchased at his store on June 24 with a credit card bearing Christina Vasquez’s name.
Turner testified that she visited the Vasquez home in early July and was asked by Christina and Lydia to take the water tank away.
The prosecution believes the tank was used to cremate Manuel Vazquez’s body. The tank was recovered on the Tuner’s property.
Alexa said that her mother and grandmother had been burning something in the tank for “a couple of days,” and that when her youngest brother went out to see what they were burning, Lydia told him to go back inside.
“He was upset because she snapped at him,” Alexa said. “She had never snapped at him like that before.”
The trial will resume today.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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