Jury Seated in Sierra LaMar's Murder Case, But Trial Start Postponed

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – PHOTOS from left: missing South Bay teen Sierra LaMar; accused killer Antolin Garcia-Torres.

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Seven men and five women will serve on the jury in the trial of Antolin Garcia-Torres, the man charged in the kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar in 2012, but opening statements, expected to begin today, have been postponed until Jan. 30, according to court officials.

According to court documents, on Jan. 10, prosecutors provided about 1,000 pages of validation studies and updated protocols relating to DNA testing and interpretation used in the case.

These new lab reports may impact the defense approach or the evidence presented at trial, so defense attorney Brian Matthews requested a continuance to review the new studies.

DNA results are expected to play a significant role in the case, as Sierra's DNA was found in Garcia-Torres' red Volkswagen Jetta in May 2012, two months after her disappearance.

Sierra was last seen leaving for school from her home in unincorporated Morgan Hill on March 16, 2012. She did not show up to her bus stop that morning, and her body has never been found.

The teenager's cellphone was found in a field south of San Jose and her Juicy purse and clothes were found two days after she went missing.

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--Bay City News/Images via Patch files