SAN ANTONIO — After days of emotional testimony and graphic evidence, jurors in the murder trial of Albert Casanova are preparing to decide whether he is guilty of killing 30-year-old mother Briann Hernandez in a West Side motel room last year.
Closing testimony wrapped Thursday, and the panel is expected to begin deliberations soon, with a verdict possible this week, according to KENS5. Casanova has pleaded not guilty. Jurors were shown police body-worn camera footage from inside the West Side motel room where Hernandez was found, and both sides spent their final moments in front of the jury arguing over how that video and other evidence should be interpreted.
The timeline presented in court centers on May 2023 at the OYO motel on the West Side. Earlier reports state that hotel staff discovered Hernandez's body during checkout, and that surveillance footage showed Hernandez and Casanova arriving together before Casanova was later seen leaving alone and driving off in her vehicle, according to the San Antonio Express-News. Investigators say Hernandez was shot inside the room and a spent shell casing was recovered near the door. Casanova was arrested days later and initially booked on a murder charge tied to the incident that May.
Those early investigative details have now been replayed in front of the jury through witness testimony, video and records as prosecutors and the defense battle over what happened inside that room and what the evidence really shows.
For Hernandez's family, the legal back-and-forth is layered on top of raw grief. Relatives told reporters they were blindsided by her death and said her relationship with Casanova appeared to be new, a point they reiterated in court. They have pushed back on how Hernandez has been discussed as the case has unfolded.
"I feel like people want to victim shame," cousin Christina Hernandez told KENS5, criticizing public commentary around the case. Family members have urged anyone with information to speak up as jurors weigh the competing narratives laid out in court.
Records and prior local coverage show Casanova has a lengthy criminal history in Bexar County that stretches back decades, a point prosecutors highlighted as they argued about his credibility and the risk he poses, as reported by KSAT. Initial arrest documents stated that he was booked into the Bexar County jail in May 2023 and that his bond was set at $200,000. Prosecutors also referenced prior police contacts with Casanova, while defense attorneys pressed back, suggesting those details should not overshadow the specific evidence in this case.
Legal Status And What Comes Next
Casanova is charged with murder and has entered a not-guilty plea, so the outcome now rests entirely with the jury. Once deliberations begin, jurors will decide whether the state has met its burden of proof. A guilty verdict would move the case into a sentencing phase under Texas law. A not-guilty verdict would end the prosecution. If the panel cannot reach a unanimous decision, the judge could declare a mistrial and the case could be tried again.
Prosecutors have told the court that a decision could come as soon as this week. Both legal teams left most of their arguments inside the courtroom, with attorneys not immediately offering additional comments beyond what they presented to jurors.
Broader Context
The case has been watched closely in a community already on edge over deadly domestic violence. Advocates and local data have pointed to fatal intimate-partner violence as a persistent problem in Bexar County. A statewide analysis of deadly domestic-violence cases identified Hernandez among the 2023 victims in the county, part of a broader pattern detailed in last year's report, according to Texas Public Radio. The attention on Hernandez's killing has underscored ongoing concerns about how survivors and families are supported, and what can be done to prevent similar tragedies.
With testimony complete and the major pieces of evidence already played out in open court, the spotlight now shifts to the jurors. Court proceedings are expected to resume later this week as they begin deliberations that will determine Casanova's fate and, for Hernandez's family, mark at least one chapter of this painful case coming to a close.
