Appeals court upholds Donna man's murder conviction

Texas’ 13th Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a Donna man accused in a 2004 stabbing at South Padre Island that left another Rio Grande Valley man dead.

The appellate court on Thursday let stand the 77-year prison sentence that a state jury in Cameron County handed down against Adrian Pina Contreras, 24, of Donna, in November 2008.

Contreras had been accused of stabbing David Garcia, 22, of Alamo, in the neck while at the Island during spring break in 2004. Garcia was on vacation from St. Edwards University in Austin.

Contreras disputed the allegations, however, and denied having any involvement in the stabbing. He insisted during his November 2008 trial that his case was one of mistaken identity. Contreras denied even being at the Island the day of the stabbing and had witnesses back him up on that alibi.

The jury rejected his defense and found him guilty of Garcia’s murder, sentencing Contreras to 77 years in prison.

Contreras filed an appeal with the higher court in February 2009 and requested a new trial. He claimed in his appeal that the state improperly withheld impeachment evidence and that the trial court erred in granting his motion for a new trial. He also claimed the trial court erred in admitting evidence of his gang affiliation and allowing a photograph of the victim to be entered as evidence in the trial. In addition, he said the state made an improper jury argument and that his defense attorney was ineffective.

The appellate court ruled against all his claims.

Contreras is being held at the Bill Clements Unit in Amarillo. His projected release date is Nov. 3, 2084. He will be eligible for parole on Nov. 11, 2037.

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Laura B. Martinez is a reporter for The Brownsville Herald.