The tattered outfit and purse of a Texas beauty queen killed in 1960 were shown in court on Friday in the trial of the former Catholic priest accused of killing her.
A crime scene technician looked over the personal effects of Irene Garza, 25, to help the state in their prosecution of 85-year-old John Feit.
Garza, a schoolteacher and Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, disappeared on Easter weekend in April 1960 and was found dead in a canal five days later.
The personal effects of 25-year-old beauty queen, Irene Garza (left) were shown in the second hearing for John Feit, 85, (right) on Friday who is accused of beating and strangling her in 1960
Garza, a schoolteacher and Miss All South Texas Sweetheart 1958, disappeared on Easter weekend in April 1960 and was found dead in a canal five days later. But her shoe and purse (pictured) were found before her body
She was last seen at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where Feit was a visiting priest, for confession with him.
Garza’s shoe and purse were found first before her body was. An autopsy revealed that she had been raped while unconscious and then beaten and asphyxiated.
Monica Ballesteros, of the McAllen Police Department, opened the evidence which were all in packages obtained from law enforcement in 1960.
She was last seen at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, where Feit was a visiting priest, for confession with him
Authorities questioned the then-27-year-old priest who had scratches on his hand and failed a lie detector test. He was later ruled out as a suspect after church officials allegedly pressured police to leave him alone, according to the Houston Chronicle .
Two priests revealed that Feit admitted killing Garza. The re-opened case sparked a grand jury probe in 2004, but Feit was never indicted due to a lack of new evidence (Pictured, Sacred Heart Catholic Church in McAllen, Texas where Feit worked and where Garza was last seen)
Included was a petticoat, a blouse, one shoe, a belt and a black purse that had been brought up by two witnesses on the first day of the hearing on Thursday.
Juan Gonzalez, 65, testified that he tried to return the purse to the church rectory as a young boy of eight or seven-years-old at the time in 1960. But he claimed that John Feit took the purse and shut the door in his face,
Gonzales would not speak up about the occurrence until 2002 when he saw a TV special surrounding the Feit case.
Juan Gonzales and Alfredo Barrera testified on Thursday that they had both come across the purse after Garza had been killed
Hidalgo County Assistant District Attorney Michael Garza shows a petticoat worn by Irene Garza during the trial
86-year-old Alfredo Barrera also claimed to have found Garza’s purse near Highway 495, adding that he picked it up with a pencil and drove the purse to the family’s house.
The defense had tried to object to the admittance of the evidence prior to the testimony, arguing chain of custody but that was overturned.
Also included in evidence were handwritten letters from Feit to McAllen Police Chief Clint Mussey and an affidavit from the defendant taken shortly after the beauty queen’s disappearance.
Feit was arrested in February at his home Scottsdale, Arizona, home Rodriguez argued there was enough evidence to prosecute him
Found on Garza, at the time her body was discovered, was a slide viewer with long black cord, which belonged to Feit.
Authorities questioned the then-27-year-old priest who had scratches on his hand and failed a lie detector test. He was later ruled out as a suspect after church officials allegedly pressured police to leave him alone, according to the Houston Chronicle.
After two priest came forward and offered testimony that Feit had allegedly confessed to the killing, Texas Rangers reopened the case in 2002. A grand jury probe found insufficient evidence to indict him, however, in 2004.
Garza’s body was found in a canal (pictured) five days later. An autopsy revealed that she had been raped while unconscious and then beaten and asphyxiated
Garza’s shoe (right) and purse (left) were found first before her body was. Also found on her was a slide viewer with long black cord, which belonged to Feit
The then district attorney of Hidalgo County, Rene Guerra, was heavily scrutinized for his role in the investigation by the victim’s family who then chose to support Ricardo Rodriguez ultimately helping him win the election in 2014.
After winning, he reopened Garza’s case and requested a new grand jury, which led to a subsequent indictment against Feit in early February 2016.
Feit was arrested that month at his home Scottsdale, Arizona, home Rodriguez argued there was enough evidence to prosecute him.
At the time it was unthinkable for a priest to commit such a horrible act.
At the time it was unthinkable for a priest to commit such a horrible act