On 16 March 2012, Sierra LaMar, a 15-year-old went missing on her way to school. Initially considered a runaway case, the situation shifted to a missing person investigation upon discovering Sierra’s damaged phone and backpack near her home.
Early Life
Sierra Mae LaMar was born on 19 October 1996, in Fremont, California to Steve and Marlene LaMar. A cheerful and outgoing teenager she shared a close bond with her older sister, Danielle. After her parents divorce, Sierra moved with her mother and her mother’s new partner to Morgan Hill, where she attended Ann Sobrato High School.
Handwritten line in Sierra’s notebook: “I hate my life no ever sees this I will be in San Francisco by 3/16/12.”, per East Bay Times.
Adjusting to a new environment, she was a vibrant student known for her humor and kindness.
Disappearance
On 16 March 2012, Sierra left home to catch the school bus after posting a picture on social media and texting a friend. However, she never boarded the bus and she did not attend school that day.
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Her mother became aware of her absence through a school email notification. Concerned after multiple unanswered calls and messages Marlene reported her daughter missing to the police.
At first, authorities considered the possibility of Sierra running away.
Sheriff’s spokesman Jose Cardoza: “There is no evidence of foul play”, per NBC News.
They questioned her family and friends but found no indications that she had left voluntarily. Surveillance footage confirmed that she never arrived at the bus stop. With no sign of her, the case quickly escalated to a missing persons investigation.
Prosecutor David Boyd: “she had no reason to abandon everything she knew, loved and cared about”, the Mercury News reported.
On 17 March, a brief signal from Sierra’s phone led investigators to a field near her home, where they discovered her damaged phone by the roadside, per Fox News. The following day her backpack was found inside a shed about two miles away containing her folded clothes from the day she vanished.
Identification of a Suspect
Forensic analysis of Sierra’s belongings revealed the DNA of Antolin Garcia-Torres, a 21-year-old man living seven miles away in Maple Leaf RV Park. He worked at a Safeway grocery store and had a history of criminal offenses, including a 2009 felony assault and a 2010 arrest for obstructing police.
His DNA was in the system from a previous incident which led authorities to identify him as a suspect.
Marlene LaMar: “Everyday is difficult for me and what has been taken from me as a mother”, per KSBW Action News.
Further investigation linked Garcia-Torres to a series of attempted kidnappings in 2009. Three women reported being attacked in parking lots by an unidentified man.
In one case a stun gun was used and a fingerprint on the battery matched Garcia-Torres. Although the victims managed to escape, the incidents showed a pattern of violence.
Authorities placed Garcia-Torres under 24 hour surveillance, hoping he would lead them to Sierra. Reviewing security footage from March 16, investigators saw him leaving home in his red Volkswagen Jetta minutes before Sierra disappeared. Believing he had abducted her the police seized his car for forensic examination, per CBS News.
After two months of surveillance, officers arrested Garcia-Torres at his workplace on 21 May 2012. Under questioning he claimed he had been fishing alone on the day Sierra disappeared and denied knowing her. When asked how his DNA was found on her clothing, he suggested it may have been transferred from discarded napkins he used while in his car.
An analysis of Garcia-Torres car revealed Sierra’s DNA on the inside door handle and a strand of her hair on a rope in the trunk. Investigators concluded that he had kidnapped Sierra, assaulted her, and then disposed of her remains.
Despite extensive searches, her body was never found.
Trial and Conviction
Garcia-Torres trial began on 30 January 2017.
Prosecution’s Opening Statement: “Sierra LaMar is dead. This man killed her”, KTVU Fox 2 reported.
Prosecutors presented compelling evidence including the DNA findings, his prior criminal history, and his connection to previous attacks. On 9 May 2017, Garcia-Torres was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Sierra LaMar, along with the three prior attempted kidnappings. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Throughout the trial and after his sentencing Garcia-Torres refused to disclose Sierra’s whereabouts. Her mother Marlene, made emotional appeals for information but he remained silent. To this day, Sierra’s body has never been found, leaving her family without closure, The Kron4 reported.
Marc Klaas: “She’s reliving everything and it’s just got to be horrendous knowing she’s attending the trial for her daughter’s murder and still has no idea where her daughter’s remains are.”
