Crime scene specialist testifies in Jacqueline Vigil’s murder trial

Click here to watch the third day of testimony in Jacqueline Vigil’s murder trial.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The trial for a suspect accused of killing the mother of two New Mexico State Police officers continued Thursday.

Luis Talamantes-Romero is accused of killing Jacqueline Vigil in her own driveway in November 2019.

For the first time in the trial, jurors saw what the scene looked like and some of the crucial evidence in the case Thursday. The state called its ninth witness to the stand, APD Crime Scene Specialist Detective Andrea Ortiz.

She actually cut open a bag of evidence revealing the hat Jacque was wearing when she was shot in the head.

The state spent hours setting the scene for the jury. They had Ortiz talk through a series of photos taken in the garage. Ortiz also presented the shell casing to the jury, explaining the type of bullet used.

For the first time, they also presented a photo of the bullet hole left in the back windshield.

Ortiz also testified about getting a call on November 27, 2019, from another crime scene specialist who located the Jeep believed to be driven by Talamantes-Romero at the time of the murder.

Ortiz said she never went to that scene, but the detective did seal the Jeep and put in their secured lot. That was done to preserve evidence while the search warrant was approved.

Ortiz said they did around 50 swabs but most of them came out inconclusive – something the defense brought up during cross-examination.

Read more about the first and second days of testimony here:

• Day 2 of testimony in Jacqueline Vigil’s murder trial
• Husband of Jacqueline Vigil takes the stand in murder trial
• Trial begins for suspect in Jacqueline Vigil’s murder