Bio

Robert Jurado Jr. was born in 1970 in California. By 1991, Jurado was living in San Diego County and associated with several individuals who later became involved in the events surrounding Teresa Holloway's murder. Among them were his teenage girlfriend, Anna Humiston, and Denise Shigemura, who shared an apartment with him.

Evidence introduced at trial indicated that Jurado was involved in methamphetamine use and maintained connections with individuals within the local drug community. Witnesses testified that Jurado owed money to a drug dealer named Doug Mynatt and had discussed plans to kill him. According to prosecutors, these discussions ultimately led to the murder of Teresa Holloway after concerns arose that she might expose the plot.

Murder Story

On May 15, 1991, Teresa Holloway, a 26-year-old pregnant woman from San Diego County, was murdered in what prosecutors described as an effort to silence her before she could reveal a separate murder conspiracy.

Holloway had previously been involved with Brian Johnsen, who had lived with her until approximately one month before her death. Johnsen was later jailed on drug charges. Through Johnsen, prosecutors alleged that Jurado had discussed plans to kill Doug Mynatt, a methamphetamine dealer who allegedly sold drugs to both Jurado and Johnsen.

According to trial evidence, the alleged plan to kill Mynatt developed after Denise Shigemura's purse had supposedly been stolen by the dealer. Jurado reportedly owed Mynatt money and viewed him as a threat. Prosecutors argued that Holloway learned details of the conspiracy and became a liability because she might disclose the planned killing.

On May 15, 1991, Jurado, his girlfriend Anna Humiston, and Denise Shigemura lured Holloway into a vehicle and drove her to an isolated area in San Diego County. Evidence presented at trial established that Holloway was strangled and beaten to death. Her body was later discarded inside a drainage culvert beneath Highway 163.

On May 17, 1991, Holloway's body was discovered by authorities beneath the highway overpass. She was pregnant at the time of her death. The investigation initially focused on Jurado's associates after Anna Humiston reportedly boasted to classmates at Patrick Henry High School that she had helped restrain Holloway while Jurado strangled her. Humiston, who was 17 years old at the time, became a key suspect.

Three days after the murder, Jurado was arrested. The prosecution's case was strengthened by testimony from Brian Johnsen. Because prosecutors believed Johnsen's life might be in danger, San Diego Superior Court Judge David Gill authorized a conditional examination to preserve his testimony.

Johnsen testified that Jurado had previously discussed plans to kill Doug Mynatt and later admitted responsibility for Holloway's death, stating that "it had to be done." Initially, prosecutors charged Jurado with first-degree murder with a lying-in-wait special circumstance but indicated they would not seek the death penalty. Following the preliminary hearing, Jurado pleaded guilty to the non-capital charges after the lying-in-wait special circumstance allegation was dismissed.

However, the prosecution sought appellate review. The California Court of Appeal reinstated the special circumstance allegation and ruled that Jurado's guilty plea did not bar a trial on the special circumstance issue. Jurado subsequently withdrew his guilty plea and entered pleas of not guilty while denying the special circumstance allegation.

Prosecutors then announced that they would seek the death penalty. At trial, jurors found Jurado guilty of first-degree murder and determined that the lying-in-wait special circumstance was true. At the conclusion of the penalty phase, the jury returned a verdict of death. On October 13, 1994, Robert Jurado Jr. was formally sentenced to death in San Diego County.

Jurado appealed his conviction and sentence to the Supreme Court of California. In People v. Jurado (2006), the California Supreme Court unanimously affirmed both the conviction and death sentence. Justice Joyce L. Kennard authored the opinion rejecting numerous claims, including challenges to the conditional examination testimony and allegations that prosecutors sought the death penalty in retaliation for Jurado's legal challenges.

The court concluded that the evidence supported the conviction and found no reversible error. Robert Jurado Jr. remains on California's death row.