The trial of a man accused of driving from Tennessee to Dallas in 2020 to kill his girlfriend’s husband began on Monday.
Darrin Lopez was charged with the murder of James “Jamie” Faith in 2020. James was shot seven times in front of his wife, Jennifer, outside their home while they were walking their dog.
Lopez is a former Army Special Forces veteran who earned a Purple Heart. During his service, he obtained a brain injury from a roadside bomb that left him disabled, according to CBS News.
The trial began on Monday with jury selection, and opening statements and testimonies are expected to begin on Tuesday. Lopez has pleaded not guilty, per Fox 4 KDFW.
Following the death of her husband, Jennifer took to the news and asked for help finding the murderer.
“It’s been horrible. Devastating. I teeter between completely heartbroken and completely devastated every day,” Jennifer told Fox 4.
Christy Jack, a prominent defense attorney associated with the television show 48 Hours, was asked to review the case and said that something immediately seemed off.
“Three times to the head, three times to the chest and once to the groin. … And then [someone] turns to the wife, takes the time to pull out duct tape and wrap her wrists,” said Jack, per CBS News. “As soon as I saw it, I thought, ‘That’s a hit.’”
During the investigation, it was discovered that Jennifer had allegedly spoken with Lopez, who turned out to be a secret boyfriend that she had dated previously back in high school. She convinced him to commit the crime.
Plea papers from Jennifer’s arrest indicate she admitted to creating multiple phony email accounts to convince Lopez she was being abused physically and sexually.
The email accounts were fabricated to appear to be those of her husband and one of her friends to back her story that she was being abused, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas.
Lopez allegedly drove to Dallas from his home in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, to commit the murder.
Jennifer and Lopez allegedly planned to collect the roughly $620,000 life insurance policy provided to James by his job with American Airlines and use it to purchase a house in Tennessee.
In February 2021, Jennifer was charged with obstruction of justice. She was charged again later that year with use of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire, per the press release.
On June 21, 2022, Jennifer received life in prison for her role in her husband’s murder.
“Ms. Faith put on quite a performance in the wake of her husband’s murder. She poured out her sob story to reporters and law enforcement, then headed home to orchestrate her coverup,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham in the press release. “But crocodile tears didn’t stop the feds. We were committed to getting justice for Jamie, and with the Judge’s imposition of a life sentence this afternoon, we’re one step closer.”
In Dallas, there was a year-over-year increase in homicides of roughly 23% in the first four months of 2023.
The Dallas Police Department is also facing a significant staffing shortage, with roughly 3,100 officers currently sworn in — far fewer than the estimated 4,000 needed to adequately police a city of its size, according to a City analysis.
Nearby cities like Fort Worth have implemented dedicated crime units in certain areas. Fort Worth’s downtown area has reportedly been experiencing much lower crime rates than Downtown Dallas.