Joel Espino, a 21-year-old Hispanic man, was fatally shot in the head on June 22, 2015, during an attempted robbery at his mobile home in San Marcos, Texas. A group of seven young men, most described as teenagers and armed with guns and clubs, approached the residence—rumored to be a drug house—forced Espino to unlock the door and entered. Espino’s roommate, Andrew Alejandro, retrieved a gun and began firing when the intruders burst in; none of the invaders reportedly pulled the trigger that killed Espino, but Texas law can hold participants in a killing during a robbery or burglary responsible for the death.

Six of the attackers were charged with capital murder, but the prosecutions were derailed by serious credibility problems tied to a mysterious police informant. A judge found the informant unreliable, prompting the dismissal of the murder charge against Reynaldo Lerma and leading other defendants to seek dismissal. The Hays County Narcotics Task Force had used the same informant in a controlled drug buy at the home months earlier, and shifting explanations about the informant’s identity and role raised questions about the investigation’s integrity.

Who knew Joel or has information about the events leading up to that night?