Guadalupe Contreras retrial nears conclusion as jury sees more evidence in day 4 of testimony

SAN ANTONIO – Jurors in the retrial of Guadalupe Contreras saw new evidence Tuesday including a look inside the vehicle driven by his estranged wife, Elizabeth Contreras, on the night she disappeared in August 2017.

A San Antonio Police Department crime scene detective testified that an initial inspection of the vehicle revealed no visible traces of blood. However, after spraying a type of luminol, multiple areas of blue fluorescence appeared, indicating the possible presence of blood. Further DNA testing would be needed for confirmation.

Elizabeth Contreras’ remains were discovered about a week after her disappearance in a field off Old Corpus Christi Road. Guadalupe Contreras is on trial for her murder, with prosecutors presenting testimony from nearly 20 witnesses so far.

In 2023, Guadalupe Contreras went to trial, but it ended in a mistrial when the defense learned about more evidence that was mistakenly erased by San Antonio police.

After an appeal to prevent a retrial was denied, the case was set again in the 379th District Court.

The trial is expected to go to the jury after closing arguments on Wednesday.

If convicted, Contreras faces a sentence of up to life in prison.

More coverage of Guadalupe Contreras' retrial:

• Retrial of Guadalupe Contreras, man accused of murdering his wife, concluded Day 3 on Monday evening
• ‘I don’t know’: Bexar County jury watches SAPD interview videos in retrial for man accused of murdering his wife
• ‘It’s a messy family dynamic’: Testimony reveals victim’s ongoing relationship with estranged husband before death