Austin, Texas – Francisco Lopez Jr., aged 36, was found guilty of murder by a Travis County jury and sentenced to 28 years in prison for the 2019 death of Guillermo Bernal Gomez, aged 32.

The tragic incident unfolded in the early hours of June 23, 2019, when authorities received a distressing 911 call reporting a man in a South Austin apartment complex with blood on his arms. Upon arrival, officers discovered Gomez deceased with multiple gunshot wounds, leading to a thorough investigation unveiling his association with Lopez and Evan Zanders in the moments preceding his demise.

Throughout the inquiry, witnesses revealed that Gomez had been involved in drug distribution and had substantial debts to settle, as detailed in Zanders’ arrest affidavit. Zanders, who had initially been apprehended for an unrelated charge in February 2020, later confessed to orchestrating a fake drug transaction with Gomez at Lopez’s behest, culminating in Gomez’s tragic demise at the hands of Lopez, according to court documents.

Subsequently, Zanders was charged with murder in accordance with Texas’ “law of parties,” which allows for criminal accountability of accomplices. Zanders admitted guilt to the murder in January 2023 and is presently serving a 36-year prison term. Following Zanders’ testimony, Lopez was swiftly detained by a U.S. Marshals Service task force in Kyle, paving the way for his trial that commenced and concluded within a span of three days.

During the trial, Lopez contended that Zanders was the perpetrator behind Gomez’s murder, narrating intricate details of their involvement in a drug operation purportedly affiliated with a cartel. Lopez justified his silence post-incident by citing fear for his own and his family’s safety, maintaining his truthfulness on the witness stand without seeking absolution for his past actions.

The judicial conclusion arrived on Friday as Lopez was handed his sentence, underscoring the repercussions of his role in Gomez’s untimely death amid a narrative fraught with drugs, deceit, and dire consequences.