'It's time to exonerate him': Gustavo Mireles returns to court for 2001 murder

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A court hearing was held Tuesday for Gustavo Mireles, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2001 murder of Mary Jane Rebollar.

Rebollar was found partially clothed with multiple stab wounds inside her pickup truck, which was abandoned in a field and set on fire.

Mireles, who is now 58, was linked to Rebollar’s murder after physical evidence revealed his DNA matched the findings at the crime scene, including hair and bloodstains.

Since his conviction, Mireles and his family continue to advocate to maintain his innocence of the events that occurred leading up to Rebollar’s murder.

Today, at one of the many hearings they’ve attended, the Mireles family did not get the outcome they were hoping for.

Mireles’ sister believes her brother was wrongfully convicted of the murder and says it has been a painful road to prove his innocence.

"We've come with the truth, and yet, they still continue to fight us. Gustavo is innocent. We know he's innocent. It's time for them to do the right thing. It's time to exonerate him," Gustavo's sister Leonor Matano-Mireles said.

Private investigator Daryl Parker, who also testified in today’s hearing, says he felt the investigation was done incorrectly from the beginning, citing issues with DNA testing.

“The crime scene specialist collected the crime scene evidence and kept it for four days,” Parker previously told ValleyCentral.

Mireles' family and legal team believe he deserves a second trial. They said his due process rights were violated.