Motion hearing for 'El Gallito' murder case

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The man accused of killing his uncle was in court Tuesday hoping to get some evidence dismissed.

Salomon “Sonny” Campos Jr. is facing capital murder charges in the death of his uncle, Ernesto Gonzales, a well-known Valley criminal defense attorney who went by the nickname “El Gallito.”

In the 445th district court, lawyers held a Franks Hearing.

Campos's defense attorneys are challenging the truthfulness of sworn affidavits used to get search warrants for a goat farm in Harlingen where Gonzales's body was eventually found.

Gonzales disappeared on July 18, 2017.

Before his disappearance, Gonzales had filed a protective order against several family members, because he feared for his life. His body was found nearly three years later on June 22, 2020.

The first witness, Generoso Garza, testified that prosecutors misquoted him when applying for a search warrant in March of 2018.

The state argues Garza said Campos was wearing a gun on his hip and looking for Gonzales before he went missing.

During questioning, Garza says he never told investigators he saw Campos with a gun only that he was pretty sure he had one when he saw him a week or two earlier.

Harlingen police officers then took the stand to testify about their investigative work.
Police initially searched the goat farm on March 27, 2018, with the help of Border Patrol and cadaver dogs.

The next day, police got a search warrant to return to the property.

The canine could not detect the scent of human remains because goats had recently been born on the farm.

During questioning, officers could not remember where they had heard about baby goats and none of the pictures taken during the search showed any.

Officers say the second search was also instigated because one of Gonzales's sons was able to track his father's cell phone position to the farm.

The defense noted that the goat farm was not the phone's last location and questioned why officers wanted to go back again the next day.

In the most tense exchanges to close out the hearing, defense attorneys called retired Texas Ranger, Raul Garza who also worked on the case.

Defense lawyers repeatedly questioned what in Garza's sworn affidavit for a search warrant made Campos a suspect.

The prosecution team asked almost no questions of any witness the defense called.

Following the hearing, State District Judge Gloria Rincones met with lawyers at the bench to go over her decision. She denied the defense request.

Defense Attorney Erin Gamez said judge rincones wants to leave the question of the search warrant up to the jury.