FBI, Secret Service join North Texas journalist murder investigation

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service and U.S. Marshals are now helping Garland police investigate the murder of a well-known North Texas journalist and realtor.

The head of a United Nations agency, UNESCO, even condemned the killing of Jay Torres. Police say they're giving the investigation all the resources they have. However, his family fears the killer could harm another member of their family.

Jay’s son, Gibran, believes members of his family have been followed.

"We haven't been able to bury my dad, he said. “We're kind of still hung up and preoccupied on getting him back to his family and putting him at rest."

The family thinks Jay’s death has something to do with his real estate business, rather than his work for Spanish newspaper La Estrella.

Garland Police have spent two weeks investigating which side of Jay’s life might have led to his murder. Now, federal investigators and a private investigator Gibran hired are also on the case.

Police have ruled out robbery. Gibran says his dad had a $1,000 on him when he was found in the backyard of a house he was showing on June 13, days after being shot and left for dead.

Jay helped Hispanic families and immigrants build their credit and get into homes.

"He gave people opportunities that wouldn't otherwise have those opportunities,” Gibran explained.

But Jay’s charitable efforts sometimes created enemies.

"Sometimes, even though he was trying to help somebody, they would take advantage of the situation and then would end up having to evict someone,” explained Gibran.

Garland police would not talk about the direction the investigation is going. But Gibran and the family's private investigator believe the killer knew Jay through his real estate dealings, especially after reviewing the backgrounds of tenants who were evicted.

"One of them had a pretty extensive criminal history,” Gibran said.

They also want to find out who tailed Gibran's sister through Dallas streets on Thursday.

"My sister was being followed,” he said. “She made several U-turns, many U-turns, in busy apartment complexes."

About a dozen people showed up to Garland Police Headquarters on Tuesday to draw attention to the search for Jay’s killer.

"This is a very tragic circumstance where a life was taken. And in this case, this person was shot,” said Garland Police Lt. Pedro Barineau. “And so we are going to do everything we can to find the killer."

Gibran says federal investigators are helping reconstruct information on his father's smartphone. Police say they're also helping sort through Jay’s emails.

Another Spanish-speaking detective is also now on the case to help read through lease agreements and reporter notes written in Spanish.