SAN ANTONIO — The second week of Otis McKane's murder trial resumed Monday at 9 a.m. He's accused of murdering San Antonio Police Department Detective Benjamin Marconi.
Justin Rodriguez, the general manager of Rent-A-Tire off Bandera Road, remembers making casual conversations with the man accused of shooting and killing SAPD Detective Benjamin Marconi Nov. 20, 2016.
A state prosecutor asked Rodriguez what he and McKane would talk about.
“Him playing basketball, him loving that sport, him wanting to try out for the Spurs D league so it was good conversation with him,” Rodriguez said in response.
Rodriguez told the courtroom McKane had been making weekly payments every Friday for rims and tires, which were installed in early September.
The state presented photographs of signed documents that verified McKane’s connection to Rent-A-Tire.
Photographs of McKane’s black Mitsubishi Galant, equipped with the fresh tires and rims were also shown to the jury.
This is the vehicle prosecutors say McKane drove on the day of the shooting where he pulled up behind Marconi who was conducting a traffic stop in front of SAPD headquarters.
Rodriguez didn’t learn of what unfolded Sunday morning until he watched the news with his wife that night.
He recognized a familiar face and familiar car.
“I told my wife. That’s Otis McKane right there. That’s one of my customers,” Rodriguez said.
Photos of the defendant dressed in all black and wearing a San Antonio Spurs hat with a retro logo, confirmed Rodriguez’ identification of McKane.
San Antonio police crime scene investigator Brenda Oliva took the stand for a second time, guiding the jury through photographs she took of McKane in the hours following his arrest Nov. 21, 2016.
McKane if convicted, could be sent to death row.
The trial will resume in Judge Ron Rangel’s courtroom Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
Last week, more than 20 witnesses testified – sharing their accounts of the scene where Marconi was shot to death outside of SAPD's headquarters in downtown.
Lieutenant Brent Bell testified before Judge Ron Rangel’s courtroom, describing the nature of his colleague’s death.
“It was execution-style and the location of where it occurred, to us, seemed to be sending a message,” Bell said.
Marconi had been sitting in his patrol car, in the middle of conducting a traffic stop, when prosecutors say McKane came up and shot him twice in the head.
McKane initially confessed to the killing, saying he had to lash out on someone because of a child custody issue. He later recanted the confession.
He faces the death penalty if convicted.
Bell pointed out a pattern of officers being targeted; referencing the events of July, 2016 when a gunman shot and killed five police officers and wounded nine others.
“It appeared to us probable that Officer Marconi was targeted not because he was Ben Marconi, but because he was in uniform," Bell said. "Until we apprehended this person, we didn’t know when he was going to do it again."
The state prosecution team played video captured by SAPD Crime Scene Investigator Brenda Oliva, showing the inside and outside view of Marconi's patrol unit.
Bullet casings, pools of blood, Marconi’s radio, phone and water bottle were visible in the video, marked by yellow evidence markers.