Man accused of killing Breanna Wood faces capital murder, abuse of corpse charges
By Eleanor Dearman
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times
A man who's been in jail for nearly a year in connection with a Corpus Christi's woman's death is facing new charges.
Joseph Tejeda, 27, was re-indicted Thursday on an additional four counts: capital murder, engaging in organized criminal activity, tapering or fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair and the abuse of a corpse, online court records show.
He's accused of killing 21-year-old Breanna Wood, who went missing in October 2016.
Tejeda was first indicted in March on a murder charge, a first degree.
Prosecutors sought the capital murder count based off a section of the law that involves a murder done for remuneration, which means a killing done for payment or the promise of payment, according to the Texas Penal Code.
Capital murder carries only two punishment options: life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
Nueces County prosecutors declined to comment about the case Thursday but announced a news conference would be held Friday.
Wood's mother, Fallon Wood, filed a missing person report for her daughter with the Corpus Christi Police Department in October 2016 after she was last seen in a convenience store with Tejeda on Oct. 11.
Her remains were found on Jan. 3 in an abandoned trailer off State Highway 666 near Robstown after being led there by an inmate who said he was paid to hide her body. Another inmate told police Tejeda said he shot Wood in the head, then broke her arms and raped her corpse.
As of Thursday evening, Tejeda's bail had not been updated to reflect the newest charges. His bail currently totals more than $1 million because he's also facing an unrelated burglary case.
http://www.caller.com/story/news/cri...medium=twitter
Bookmarks