Brenda Delgado Trial Prosecution Opening Statement

Texas woman Brenda Delgado stands trial in Dallas County for capital murder. Prosecutors said the defendant became obsessed with her ex-boyfriend Ricardo Paniagua, so she hired a man named Kristopher Love to kill Paniagua’s new girlfriend, dentist Kendra Hatcher.

As far as authorities are concerned, this is just round 2. Love was convicted and sentenced to death last year.

Paniagua, a dermatologist, testified at the trial. He said that he dated Delgado from Fall 2012 to Summer 2014, broke up, and started up again briefly from November 2014 to February 2015. According to him, they remained friendly and occasionally texted one another.

Meanwhile, he moved on with his life. He met Hatcher through an online dating website, according to his testimony. Things grew serious fast. Allegedly, it was too fast for his ex-girlfriend. Crystal Cortes testified that Delgado recruited her and Love to end Hatcher’s live. She told jurors that Delgado was possessive and clingy, angry that Paniagua was dating Hatcher, and wanted him back.

Prosecutors said that Delago started stalking her ex online and in person, pretending to incidentally be at the same places he was at.

Love carried out the murder on Sept. 2, 2015, killing Hatcher after she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. Cortes admitted to being the getaway driver. She is serving a 35-year sentence.

Delgado allegedly fled to Mexico, but was arrested there. Under the conditions of her extradition, she will only face a life sentence, not the death penalty.