Texas Man Convicted of Triple Capital Murder Over $300 Dispute

Christopher Preciado killed Matthew Guerra, Savanah Soto, and the couple's unborn child over $300. That was the prosecution's case, and on March 26, 2026, a Bexar County jury agreed, returning a unanimous verdict of guilty on three counts of capital murder after just two hours of deliberation. The 290th Criminal District Court in Bexar County, Texas then imposed the only sentence available under state law: life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Prosecutors put the full weight of that disproportion on display during closing arguments, delivering a line that stripped the case to its core: "Three deaths. $300." The phrase crystallized what they characterized as Preciado's cold calculation in the December 21, 2023 murders. The motive, rooted in a property and monetary dispute, made the killings all the more staggering to the family and friends who packed the courtroom.

The state's case leaned heavily on a paper and video trail. Surveillance footage, pawn shop transaction records, and chain-of-custody exhibits tracked Preciado's movements before and after the murders, giving jurors a detailed timeline to work from during their two-hour deliberation.

Shortly after the verdict was read, family members and friends of Guerra and Soto delivered victim impact statements from the courtroom floor. The Bexar County District Attorney thanked the jury and acknowledged the emotional toll the case had taken on everyone connected to the victims.

Because Texas statute mandates an automatic sentence in certain capital murder convictions, no separate penalty phase was needed. The guilty verdict itself sealed Preciado's fate.

He retains appellate rights, and defense counsel is expected to pursue post-conviction relief. Arguments may target trial procedures, evidence admissibility, or the sufficiency of the record. Given the life-without-parole sentence, post-trial litigation is a near-certainty.

Guerra, Soto, and their unborn child were killed less than four days before Christmas 2023. A jury needed about two hours to decide what to do with the man who killed them.