DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston has announced a conviction in the murder case against Pedro Silva-Renteria, a 21-year-old man from Norcross. A jury found Silva-Renteria guilty of several charges, including Malice Murder and Felony Murder, in the shooting death of a transgender woman, Sophie Vasquez, according to the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office.
Jurors reached their verdict on Thursday after hearing a case built upon exhaustive investigative work. Brookhaven Police responded to a call at an apartment on Windmont Drive on May 4, 2021, where they discovered 36-year-old Vasquez, legally named Juan Vasquez, shot multiple times in the head and face. Neighbors' accounts and doorbell camera footage played a crucial role in piecing together the events of that tragic morning one neighbor reported hearing gunshots at around 3:45 a.m., and footage showed a man, later identified as Silva-Renteria, visiting Vasquez's apartment twice during the early hours.
As the investigation progressed, detectives uncovered social media exchanges between Vasquez and the defendant, revealing that communication had begun months prior. These messages, discovered on Vasquez's cellphone, illustrated that even after Vasquez ceased responding earlier in the year, Silva-Renteria persisted in messaging her. On the evening before her death, Vasquez finally replied, providing Silva-Renteria with her address upon his request.
Further evidence was found during a search of Silva-Renteria's parents' home, where clothing matching the surveillance footage was discovered, along with the murder weapon and ammunition. Silva-Renteria fled to Texas following the crime but was arrested on August 5, 2021. During the trial, the defendant's legal team attempted to argue that the shooting had been an act of fear upon learning that Vasquez was transgender. However, "social media messages showed Vasquez was proud of her identity and had disclosed to Silva-Renteria several times that she was a trans woman," as noted by the District Attorney's Office.
Sentencing for Silva-Renteria is scheduled for November 8, 2024, as set by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson. The prosecution team consisted of Senior Assistant District Attorney Connor Payne and Elizabeth Tarver, with investigative support from the Brookhaven Police Department.
