North Texas realtor charged in 14-year-old Arlington murder challenges DNA evidence

ARLINGTON, Texas - A North Texas real estate agent accused in a 14-year-old Arlington murder case is now fighting to get out of jail.

Police say a DNA breakthrough finally led them to Mayra Velasquez, who has been charged with capital murder. Her attorney says investigators have drawn the wrong conclusion from the evidence.

Attorney challenges DNA evidence

What we know:

Fourteen years after Irasema Chavez was found stabbed to death more than 100 times inside her Arlington apartment, North Texas real estate agent Mayra Velasquez was arrested for the crime.

Now, the case has shifted from an unsolved mystery to a battle over DNA evidence.

"I think that the conclusion is flawed. I don't know necessarily that the investigation is flawed," said Frank Sellers, Velasquez's attorney.

At a press conference this week, Arlington police and the FBI said genetic genealogy identified Velasquez as a possible suspect.

Detectives then followed her to a restaurant, where they recovered a plastic fork she used.

What they're saying:

Police say the DNA on that fork matched DNA recovered at the victim's apartment in 2012.

"We sent it to our crime lab for further analysis. The lab determined that the DNA was a match to the droplet of blood recovered from the crime scene," Arlington Police Chief Al Jones said.

Sellers questions the validity of that evidence.

"Over 10 hours later they're saying that there is a glistening drop of blood that's still wet? That tells us, right away, that I'm not even convinced its blood," Sellers said.

The DNA has already been tested in a lab. Now it will be tested in court. The question is whether it's strong enough evidence for a capital murder charge.

Bond request and surveillance video

Dig deeper:

The 42-year-old Velasquez remains jailed without bond.

Her attorney is asking a judge to set one, pointing to her lack of any prior criminal history.

Sellers also plans to challenge other evidence, including surveillance video recorded outside the victim's apartment the night of the murder.

Detectives believe the person in the video is Velasquez.

Her attorney disagrees.

"The gait of the person, the way that they carry themselves. This is a male. This is a male who's going over there late at night at 10 o'clock," Sellers said.

Police have not disclosed a motive

What's next:

Police say both women knew each other, and that Velasquez lived near the 32-year-old victim and moved into the same social circles.

Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive in the case.

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