Bautista guilty of murder in stabbing death of Lauren Bump

Christian Bautista, who is on trial for the murder of Lauren Bump who was stabbed more than 20 times on New Year's Eve 2013, stares at someone in the courtroom. The trial is taking place in the 186th State District Court on Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center. less Christian Bautista, who is on trial for the murder of Lauren Bump who was stabbed more than 20 times on New Year's Eve 2013, stares at someone in the courtroom. The trial is taking place in the 186th State ... more Photo: Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Photo: Bob Owen, Staff / San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 62 Caption Close Bautista guilty of murder in stabbing death of Lauren Bump 1 / 62 Back to Gallery

A jury found Christian Bautista guilty of murder Tuesday in the stabbing death of Lauren Bump on New Year’s Eve in 2013 after his defense attorney presented no witnesses and argued that prosecutors had failed to prove their case.

Bautista’s behavior was weird but that didn’t mean he’s guilty of murder, attorney Tim Molina told jurors in closing arguments.

Bautista was convicted of killing Bump, 24, at O.P. Schnabel Park, where she had gone for a run while visiting home in San Antonio from college. Bautista, now 31, was charged in the stabbing just a few days after Bump’s body was found.

In her closing arguments, prosectuor Wendy McClellan enumerated the witnesses who saw Bautista at the park that day, including those who saw him sitting at the location on a trail where Bump’s body was found.

“Don’t let him get away with murder,” McClellan urged the jury.

Molina stressed that Bump was a good person from a good family but said Bautista quickly became a person of interest for no other reason than his odd behavior. He faulted San Antonio police and news media for focusing on him to the exclusion of other possible suspects.

Molina said there were numerous friends of Bautista’s roommate, admitted drug user Ryan O’Shea, who stayed at their trailer and could have had access to the knife O’Shea said he gave Bautista a few days before the killing.

“Where are they?” Molina asked.

And he said runners inserted themselves into the investigation and inflamed others, and accused witnesses who placed Bautista in the park that day of adding and embellishing details. And he cited the use of social media in creating the impression that Bautista was guilty before the case was ever presented.

There was little solid evidence, no weapon or clothing, that directly connected Bautista to Bump’s death, Molina told the jury.

“At the most, you have people saying they saw Christian in the area,” Molina said.

On Monday, an expert testified that Bump's and Bautista's DNA could “not be excluded” on a T-shirt and a pair of underwear worn by Bautista.

Lead prosecutor Mary Green was more emphatic in her arguments to the jury: “This is a match,” she said, pointing to the underwear and T-shirt and saying DNA on Bautista's “innermost layer of clothing” has Bump's blood on it.

Dr. Rajesh Kannan, Bexar County deputy medical examiner, said Bump had 27 deep stab wounds or cuts to her body.

“This was a sadistic, senseless, predatory crime,” Green said. “It saddens me that the last face this beautiful woman saw is the face of evil. He must be held responsible. Find him guilty.”

Bautista faces a maximum of life in prison.

ezavala@express-news.net