Motive, Other Questions Surround LaMar Murder Suspect

Updated at 6:18 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. 

Sheriff's personnel arrested Antolin Garcia-Torres, 21, on charges of kidnapping and murdering Morgan Hill teen Sierra LaMar, Monday, after surveying the suspect for over a month. 

Although detectives believe Garcia-Torres is the suspect they've been seeking for over two months, many questions remain regarding how he murdered Sierra and if the teen's actually dead.

Patch has attempted to answer some of these questions, below. 

Questions that Remain:

How do authorities know Sierra is dead? Although Sierra is believed to be dead, authorities declined to release specific details about how the murder may have happened. They do not have a weapon associated with her murder, and wouldn’t comment on whether evidence was uncovered in Garcia-Torres’ home, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said. 

Was there a motive? A motive has not yet been determined.

“We don’t know that,” Smith said. “It was a stranger abduction—they didn’t know each other beforehand.”

Does Garcia-Torres have an alibi? 

Garcia-Torres has not disclosed whether he has an alibi, Smith said. The suspect has remained mum throughout interviews, making it difficult for authorities to test for an alibi, she said.  

Was there blood? 

Blood has apparently not been located, although detectives aren’t commenting on the possibility of blood or any details surrounding that question. 

What's Garcia-Torres' bail set at and has the suspect lawyered-up? 

Authorities would not comment on whether Garcia-Torres' has a lawyer. He is currently being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Main Jail, according to Sheriff's Sgt. Jose Cardoza.

What are the next steps: 

Garcia-Torres will be arraigned on charges of kidnapping and murdering Sierra LaMar. The arraignment is scheduled to take place May 24 at 1:30 p.m. at the South County Courthouse in Morgan Hill, although the location may be changed to the Hall of Justice in San Jose, Cardoza states. 

For previous coverage of the Sierra LaMar case, refer to the Sierra LaMar Disappearance: Comprehensive Updates and Information page on Gilroy Patch.