Jurors enter deliberations in 2015 Newport Beach murder case

Jury deliberations are underway in the case of Carson City man Anthony Thomas Garcia, who is accused of murdering an 81-year-old Newport Beach man in 2015.

The victim, Abelardo “Abby” Estacion, was killed in his bedroom while his caretaker slept upstairs on April 11, 2015. When the caretaker came downstairs, she discovered Estacion’s body in bed with a bloodied face, according to investigators. An autopsy of Estacion indicated there were pinpoints of blood in his eyes, pooling blood and a broken bone in his neck.

His nose, lips and left eye were swollen and he had what appeared to be defensive wounds on his arms, according to Newport Beach police. Garcia was subsequently arrested for the crime in July 2016.

Garcia stands accused of murder, with a special circumstances allegation of murder for financial gain. If convicted, he will face life in prison without possibility for parole.

This is the second trial held for the murder of Estacion with the first declared as a mistrial by Orange County Superior Court Judge Sheila Hanson last July when a jury deadlocked on Garcia’s guilt.

Defense attorney Alisha Montoro argued in her closing statements that there was no evidence to prove the prosecution’s theory that Garcia created a false alibi or was anywhere near Newport Beach at the time of the murder.

Montoro also questioned the credibility of witnesses Sharon Morgan and Nancy Riley, the daughter and granddaughter, respectively, of Estacion’s wife Dortha Lamb.

“This entire theory rests on the credibility of these two women. These two women who have shown they lie under oath either here or on a different day,” Montoro said of Morgan and Riley.

Relations between Estacion and his in-laws were tense. Estacion married Lamb just weeks before his death. Lamb held property in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, San Clemente and San Bernardino County and had thousands of dollars.

At the time of their marriage, Lamb had dementia and terminal cancer and Morgan secured a court-granted conservatorship to care for her.

Lamb’s family contended that Estacion stole from and abused Lamb for years, but they were unable to secure a protective order against him that would have removed him from the Newport Heights house.

Lamb was not present the day of her husband’s murder and was with her family. She passed away in June 2015.

Garcia was the longtime partner of Lamb’s granddaughter, Riley.

His defense attorney also raised concerns about the autopsy report and described evidence presented by prosecutors as “imaginary” and “speculative.”

Senior Deputy Dist. Atty. Seton Hunt, the prosecutor in the case, pushed back at Montoro’s criticism of the autopsy report and maintained the evidence presented was sound.

Hunt also pointed to claims asserted by other witnesses that Garcia previously made statements about wanting to kill Estacion.

“The evidence in this case indicates that the defendant articulated an intent to kill the very person who was murdered,” Hunt said. “He attempted to cover his tracks by creating a fake alibi using his own daughter; he lied to the police; he confessed to the mother of his children, which is confirmed through another witness.”

Prosecutors said that Garcia became involved in the matter because he was dissatisfied with how Estacion was using Lamb’s money.

Montoro maintained in her statements that Hunt did not prove Garcia had anything to gain monetarily from murdering Estacion.

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