Fate of teen accused of killing mom now in jury's hands

EDINBURG - A Monte Alto teen accused of fatally shooting his mother and burning her body last year will have to wait at least one more day to learn his fate.

Jurors deliberated the case of Christopher Hughes, 18, for more than four hours Monday before adjourning for the day.

Prosecutors allege the teen killed Laura Doyle, 44, so he could access thousands of dollars in life insurance payouts she received after her husband's cancer death in February 2007.

Assistant District Attorney Orlando Esquivel told jurors Monday there was sufficient circumstantial evidence to convict the teen, even though no physical evidence linking him to the slaying was presented during the four-day trial.

The teen allegedly lied to investigators in the days after his mother's April 2007 disappearance, brought a gun now believed to be the murder weapon to his San Benito school and purchased thousands of dollars of stereo equipment, paintball supplies and video games, witnesses testified.

Once Doyle's charred corpse was discovered a month later, Hughes appeared unaffected by his mother's death, his uncle said last week.

"He was lying to everyone about where his mother was because he knew what he did," Esquivel said. "He knew where her body was, and he didn't want to be found out."

But defense attorney Roy Valdez explained away his client's odd behavior by arguing Hughes was under a lot of stress and should not be expected to maturely cope with such extreme circumstances, considering his age.

Throughout the trial, Valdez and co-counsel Robert Capello Jr. have challenged tactics the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office used in investigating the case. They have repeatedly alleged deputies pressured teen witnesses, lied in court filings and ignored a slate of other potential suspects.

"The community wants someone to be punished for this," Valdez said. "But if you're going to make an accusation and take it to court, you better have a solid investigation to back it up."

Jurors are expected to resume deliberations this morning.

If convicted, Hughes could face up to life in prison and $10,000 in fines.

____

Jeremy Roebuck covers courts and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4437.