Guilty verdict returned in Christopher Preciado capital murder trial tied to 2023 triple homicide

Jury convicts in case stemming from deaths of Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra and an unborn child

A Bexar County jury has found Christopher Preciado guilty of capital murder in the deaths of Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra and their unborn child, concluding a closely watched prosecution that began after the victims were discovered shot inside a vehicle in late December 2023.

The case drew sustained public attention because Soto was pregnant at the time of her death and because investigators and prosecutors treated the unborn child as a third victim for charging purposes. Under Texas law, a capital murder conviction in a case where the death penalty is not sought results in a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

What the court record and prior proceedings show

Preciado was arrested in early January 2024, after investigators said evidence supported a capital murder charge connected to the killings. The prosecution alleged the deaths occurred during a violent encounter described in pretrial reporting as a drug-related transaction. Preciado pleaded not guilty, and the case moved through a lengthy pretrial period that included litigation over evidence testing.

Court proceedings in 2025 and early 2026 centered in part on forensic work involving key evidence, including requests to delay trial while additional testing was completed. The trial schedule was reset into March 2026 following defense motions and court rulings addressing the timing of testing and readiness for trial.

Families and prosecutors respond after the verdict

After the guilty verdict was read, relatives of the victims reacted in court, marking a turning point more than two years after the deaths. The verdict also prompted a response from the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, which had previously announced it would not pursue the death penalty in this case—an issue that had drawn public demonstrations by family members during the pretrial phase.

Related cases and what happens next

The prosecution of Preciado has been part of a broader set of cases connected to allegations of post-homicide actions. Preciado’s father, Ramon Preciado, faced an abuse-of-a-corpse charge tied to allegations that the bodies were moved after the killings. Preciado’s mother, Myrta Romanos, previously faced charges connected to the case; those charges were dismissed in 2025.

With the capital murder conviction secured, the case proceeds to formal sentencing consistent with Texas statutes governing capital cases in which the death penalty is not pursued. Separate court actions involving other defendants connected to the broader investigation may continue on their own schedules.

• Victims: Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra, and their unborn child
• Charge: capital murder
• Verdict: guilty
• Maximum punishment available in this case: life without parole

The guilty verdict resolves the question of criminal responsibility at trial, while related proceedings connected to the investigation remain separate matters for the courts.