Thread by @ABC7Leticia

Closing arguments are set to begin in the trial of Jesse Perez Torres. Torres is accused in the of kidnapping and murder of 17-year-old Norma Lopez. Lopez disappeared while walking from a summer school class to a friend's home in Moreno Valley in July of 2010. #NormaLopez

Judge is instructing jurors on deliberation instructions. Once this is done closing arguments will being with the prosecution.

Torres faces the death penalty in this case.

"The Lopez family suffered the cruelest pain."-- Deputy DA Michael Kersse.

Kersse calls Torres a predator who was watching, waiting and lusting after the teenage girl kissing her boyfriend on the corner. He saw his opportunity when he saw Norma walking alone. He pursued his prey.

Kersse is walking through the juror through the timeline of Norma's last day. He shows a picture of the teenager. Her walk to a friend's home in Moreno Valley with her boyfriend Josh. But on that day Josh wasn't there so she began her walk alone through a dirt field.

In the dirt field Norma was taken. There are signs of a struggle. A broken earring. The predator took advantage of Norma in that field where she was the furtherest from homes and help. Now we are hearing the 911 call made by a woman after Sonia Lopez found her sister's belongings

Sonia found her sister's purse and items scattered. One of Norma's tear drop earring was found in pieces.

The search begins but 5 days later hope dies when her body is found under a tree. Her body was bloated and eaten by insects... her eyes were gone. "She was dumped like trash" - Deputy D.A. Kersse.

Investigators turn to DNA evidence to unlock the mystery of who murdered Norma Lopez. DNA came from the earring and got a partial profile. Cellmark helped with the rest of the profile and it was entered into CODIS. It has a database of 2-million people. CODIS came back with 24

Of the 24 potential matches one profile matched the evidence. It came back to Jesse Torres.

Further testing was done on Norma Lopez's earring, purse and jeans. The DNA profile of Jesse Torres was requested. Torres' DNA matched each and every marker. - Deputy D.A. Kresse

Prosecution plays audio of interview. We hear Torres deny he knew her or saw her walking by his house.

Kersse is telling jurors that to be in CODIS you must have had committed a crime. When investigators went to look for Torres they found him living opposite the high school along the path Norma Lopez walked each and everyday.

Audio is played of Torres telling investigators he would see skateboarders and their girlfriends kissing outside his window everyday. Kersse says he is telling investigators he was watching them.

Jurors view a home surveillance video of Norma walking alone. These are the last images anyone will ever see of her. Next you see a car an Xterra that is Torres' car following a minute later.

Kersse tells the jury that after Norma Lopez was murdered Torres left the area. ATM records show he was in Long Beach.

A check issued on August 5, 2010 by the state to Torres shows he changed his address to Long Beach. This was a few weeks after Norma Lopez was murdered.

Kersse said Torres gave a false alibi that he was running around the neighborhood jogging and that he waved to his ex-wife's cousin the day Norma went missing. The ex-wife's cousin testified she never saw Torres jogging nor had she ever seen him jog.

Trace evidence shows fibers on Norma Lopez's underwear did not come from her normal environment..

Kersse puts up a photo of Norma's body under a tree and goes through the charges. Torres is charged with felony murder. If the juror believe Torres kidnapped or attempted to rape Norma those are the special circumstances that make him eligible for the death penalty.

"Remember how she was found. Her bra and top had been removed. She was naked from the waist up." --Kersse

Kersse says Torres intended to commit a kidnapping. He caused her death. Norma was so badly decomposed they could not determine death. Mostly like she was strangled.But couldn't look at eyes because they were gone. Couldn't look at her throat because maggots had ate at it.

Kersse gives tells juror Torres squeezed the precious life out of Norma.

Kersse has wrapped up his closing argument. He ended with the new article found on a computer belonging to Torres mother. The article was about Lopez's family vowing to find her murderer. Kersse said," Ladies and gentlemen, we have found her murder."

Defense attorney John Dorr presents his closing arguments. For 15-months this case went cold. They followed leads including a green SUV in this case. The search for the suspect/s was the biggest in the history of Riverside County.

Dorr said it is still the most discussed and talked about case. Because of this law enforcement was under pressure to solve this case.

Law enforcement zeroed in on Torres.

It comes down to forensic DNA case. Defense DNA expert testified that the DNA in this case is not strong and that DNA profile was not done correctly or accurately.

Dorr says DOJ and Cellmark DNA did not match. They were not able to reproduce DNA.

Dorr tells jurors DNA uploaded to CODIS was done improperly. Had it been done correctly there would have many more potential matches.

There were 24 candidates. The defense expert said those 24 should not have been eliminated.

Door said Defense DNA expert testified Y-DNA most likely came from a sub-Saharan African or Asian male.

Dorr called a computer program used to test for true ieal "junk science"

Dorr puts up on the screen the deliberation instructions about proof beyond a reasonable doubt. If they are not completely convinced about the DNA evidence which is circumstantial then they must acquit.

Dorr tells jurors prosecution's forensic expert DNA evaluation was not reasonable.

Dorr says eyewitness testimony is also important. All three eyewitnesses testified to seeing a green SUV. He says that was the vehicle involved because of the timing and its location. It was seen tearing out of the dirt field. Sonia Lopez was one of the eyewitnesses.

Torres has a brown Nissan Xterra. "Now because it is inconvenient the prosecution wants you to believe a little dust turned it green," said Dorr.

Dorr -- once investigators knew Torres lived in the area they didn't look no further.

Dorr says interrogation occurred 15-months after the murder. It was confusing because it went from specific to general.

Dorr wants jurors to ask themselves why Torres would follow Lopez sit and watch her. Then come back into the neighborhood make a U-turn. He said he would loss sight of Lopez and makes no sense to do so. Surveillance video from a home shows Torres Xterra make that u-turn.

He asks why did investigators never look for that Xterra before Torres was identified. For 15-months they could have cared less about it.

Dorr is now going after the fibers found on Norma Lopez. He is telling jurors the carpet fiber is mass produced for millions of homes and not unique.

As for the article found on Torres' mother's computer. Dorr explains that it was Torres' sister who pulled up the article for research. She was studying criminal justice at the time. Also there were 9 other people in the home at the time.

Dorr says the case was very popular at the time. Dorr is telling jurors the article and surveillance video is being used to draw a faulty conclusion.

Dorr asks what is the motive? Examination showed no sign of a sexual assault or trauma. No facts to suggest there was a rape. Nothing in Mr. Torres background to show he had an inclination to kidnap or rape anyone.

Dorr - It would be impossible for this man alone to drive up to Lopez and get her into the car and keep her at bay. Torres is 5'6 120lbs. Lopez was 5'7 110lbs.

Dorr says it would have taken two people to do this. He states that DNA evidence on the earring found two contributors.

"If you have any reasonable doubt you must find Mr. Torres not guilty." -- Defense Attorney John Dorr

That's a wrap on defense closing argument. We are on lunch recess.

Prosecution has started its rebuttal to defense closing statements. Jurors hearing again about Autosomal and Y-STR DNA found on items belonging to Norma Lopez.

DNA evidence found on items and at the crime scene where Norma's body was located.

Prosecution talks to the fibers. The carpet fibers despite being massed produced did not exist in Norma's environment... home, school, friend's home.

"Too coincidental to be a coincidence" says prosecution about Torres never appearing on 10 days of home surveillance video except on the day Norma Lopez disappeared.

Prosecution said Torres' sister gave inconstant statements about searching for article on home computer.

"He is not guilty because he is in CODIS he is guilty because his DNA is all over the evidence." -- Prosecution.

Prosecution reminds jurors the defense DNA expert never tested DNA. In fact it was the prosecution that re-tested an item and left the rest for defense to test for the very purpose of the trial and they never did. The DNA is the most damning evidence.

Prosecution is comparing education of forensic experts. Defense expert has a BA in biology while prosecution experts have masters and doctor's degree in DNA testing including published articles. Two of the prosecution experts ran DNA testing independently of each other as well.

Prosecution walks through how Torres DNA was chosen out of 24 profiles. A chart shows how others were a mis-match in different areas. Torres was the only one that came back as a possible match.

Prosecution is directing rebuttal closing at Jesse Torres ... you left her like trash, she couldn't be identified because you left the maggots to eat her face. We know you are guilty.

Judge is now giving final instruction to the jury.

The jury will not begin deliberating the fate of Jesse Torres. This is a death penalty case.

@threadreaderapp please unroll. Thank you.

Will *NOW* begin deliberating Jesse Torres fate. Sorry for the confusion.