Summary (tl;dr)

Christopher Preciado has been found guilty of capital murder in the 2023 deaths of pregnant 18-year-old Savanah Soto, her boyfriend Matthew Guerra, and their unborn child. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Essential Background

Savanah Soto, who was in the final days of her pregnancy, and her boyfriend, Matthew Guerra, were last heard from on December 21, 2023. Soto failed to show up for a scheduled induction appointment on December 22, 2023, leading her family to raise the alarm, and a CLEAR Alert was issued on Christmas Day. Their bodies were discovered on December 26, 2023, inside a vehicle at a northwest-side apartment complex, both having suffered gunshot wounds to the head. Authorities believe the killings occurred on December 21, 2023, after a botched drug deal involving Christopher Preciado. Christopher Preciado, who was 19 at the time, was arrested on January 3, 2024, and charged with capital murder. His father, Ramon Preciado, was also arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse for allegedly helping his son move the bodies. Christopher's mother, Myrta Romanos, was also arrested on allegations of attempting to help cover up the crime.

The Full Story

Christopher Preciado's capital murder trial recently concluded, with the jury returning a guilty verdict on March 26, 2026, after approximately two hours of deliberation. He was found guilty on all three capital murder charges related to the deaths of Savanah Soto, Matthew Guerra, and their unborn child, Fabian. As a result of the conviction, Preciado was automatically sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as the district attorney was not seeking the death penalty in this case. During the eight-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence, including private Instagram messages, to suggest Preciado was motivated by money. Preciado had claimed innocence in a letter from prison and during the trial asserted he acted in self-defense, a claim a detective testified was inconsistent with the evidence. The trials for his father, Ramon Preciado, and mother, Myrta Romanos, who face charges related to the concealment of the bodies, are ongoing or pending.

Why It Matters

This verdict brings a significant step towards justice for the families of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra, and their unborn child, in a case that has garnered considerable public attention in Texas. The conviction underscores the severity with which the legal system addresses capital murder cases, particularly those involving multiple victims and an unborn child, which is recognized as a person under Texas law. The lengthy trial and the involvement of multiple family members in alleged cover-up attempts highlight the complexities and emotional toll of such crimes on the community and the victims' loved ones.

Geographic Location

• San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, United States (location where bodies of Savanah Soto and Matthew Guerra were found)
• San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, United States (location of Christopher Preciado's arrest)
• Bexar County Courthouse, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, United States (location of capital murder trial and verdict)