DEL NORTE — Barely 24 hours after going into deliberation, the jury in the case of Jimmy Garcia, on trial for allegedly murdering Jacque Jones, has found Garcia not guilty.  

The verdict ends a journey that began in March of 2014 when Jones died of asphyxiation. At question was whether the 24-year-old young woman had committed suicide — a question that was not unanimously resolved even by the medical examiners and the coroner who determined the cause of death to be “cause unknown” and “suicide” respectively.  

From the beginning, Jones’ family did not believe Jones had ended her own life and repeatedly advocated for the young woman’s death to be investigated as a murder.  

Due to the efforts and continuing persistence of officers with the Monte Vista Police Department, an investigation was conducted, and enough evidence gathered to warrant a preliminary hearing which found sufficient cause to bind the case over to trial. 

Garcia has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence, stating that when he found Jones, she had already passed away. 

After nine days of detailed testimony in the Del Norte courtroom of District Judge Kimberly Cortez, the jury went into deliberation and returned with the not guilty verdict. 

The Valley Courier has reached out to attorneys for both the defense and the prosecution for their thoughts and reactions but had not received a response by press time.