By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
A woman accused of hiring someone to kill her lover’s wife pleaded guilty to murder in state district court Tuesday.
A nine-woman, three-man jury will convene Wednesday morning to listen to evidence and recommend punishment for Elisa Wesley Alvarez.
Alvarez, 56, was indicted for murder for hiring someone to kill Mirosalva Martinez, 48.
Martinez died after she was shot in the head and chest outside her home in the Cienegas Terrace area of the county on the morning of July 25, 2022.
Sheriff’s office investigators later arrested Alvarez’s handyman, Jose Ignacio Solis, who claimed he had driven the shooter to the Martinez home in Alvarez’s car and that Alvarez had promised to buy him a new home in Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico as payment for the killing.
Tuesday’s court proceedings began with the seating of a jury pool from about 80 Val Verde County residents in the second-floor courtroom of the county judicial center on South Main Street.
Alvarez, dressed entirely in black, and flanked by her counsel, Del Rio attorney Jacques De La Mota, and his assistant, Dr. Alma Flores, entered the courtroom shortly before 9 a.m.
83rd Judicial District Judge Robert Cadena spent some time in chambers with De La Mota and District Attorney Suzanne West and Assistant District Attorney Jessica Shawver-Savino, returning to the courtroom to address prospective jurors at 9:30 a.m.
After reviewing qualifications, exemptions and excuses, Cadena dismissed about 20 members of the jury pool and asked the remaining 52 to return to the courtroom at 1 p.m.
After the prospective jurors returned to their seats on benches in the courtroom’s gallery, Cadena advised them the district attorney and Alvarez’s attorney would be selecting the final 12 members of the jury and two alternates following voir dire, the process when the judge and attorneys ask potential jurors more specific and pointed questions.
Just before 3 p.m., the final panel of jurors was announced and seated in the jury box, with two alternates sitting on chairs next to the box.
Cadena thanked all of remaining venire, telling them that justice could not be done without them.
“This is truly government of the people, by the people and for the people. We can’t do our jobs without juries. I’m proud of all of you, and thank you for coming,” Cadena said.
The judge asked West and De La Mota in turn if either of them had any objections to the composition of the jury, and both said they had no objections.
Cadena gave the jury a set of preliminary instructions, which included admonitions not to talk about the case with each other or anyone else or to independently investigate any of the facts of the case.
After instructing the jury, Cadena asked West to stand at the front of the courtroom and read the indictment against Alvarez. The judge also asked Alvarez and De La Mota to stand while West read the indictment.
After West had finished reading the indictment, Cadena asked Alvarez, “How does the defendant plead?”
“The defendant pleads guilty, your Honor,” De La Mota replied.
“That plea will be accepted by the court,” Cadena said.
The judge then told the jury to return to the courtroom at 9 a.m. Wednesday for the start of the punishment phase of the trial.
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