Antolin Garcia-Torres faces retrial for 2012 Sierra LaMar murder

A retrial is set to begin for Antolin Garcia-Torres, who is accused of the 2012 murder of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar. LaMar disappeared in March 2012 while walking toward a school bus stop near Morgan Hill, California. Although her backpack, mobile phone, and clothing were recovered, her remains have never been found.

Garcia-Torres was originally convicted of first-degree murder and three attempted kidnappings in 2017, receiving a life sentence without parole. However, the California 6th Appellate District Court overturned the conviction in February 2026. The court ruled that the prosecution improperly consolidated the 2012 murder charge with three attempted kidnapping charges from 2009, stating the incidents were not sufficiently similar to establish a common motive or intent.

This consolidation led to the improper cross-admission of evidence, which the court found prejudiced the defendant. Prosecutors are now pursuing the murder case again, though the ruling has placed restrictions on how they may approach the evidence at the retrial.