State rests, defendant takes the stand in Dallas murder-for-hire trial

DALLAS - The state rested in a murder trial for a man accused of driving to Dallas to kill his high school sweetheart’s husband.

The defendant, Darrin Lopez, also took the stand Thursday to testify about his relationship with Jennifer Faith and the events leading up to her husband, Jamie Faith's, death in 2020.

During his testimony, Lopez didn’t hide the fact that he killed Jamie, but said, in his mind, he was on a rescue mission to Dallas to save Jennifer from being abused.

"I shot his chest, and then I started to turn, and then I continued to put in his side," Lopez said.

Lopez was matter of fact in describing his murder of Jamie, but he broke down as he described learning his victim wasn’t the bad guy his girlfriend made him out to be.

"I was devastated, I took an innocent life, I took Amber’s dad from her. A man who was like me," Lopez said.

CONTINUED COVERAGE:

• Trial continues for man accused in Dallas murder-for-hire plot
• Man blames girlfriend for manipulating him into driving to Dallas to kill her husband

For the first time, Lopez, in his own words, described murdering Jamie in October 2020.

Lopez claimed, even after his arrest, he still believed his girlfriend’s stories that falsely accused her husband of sexual and physical abuse, while urging him against involving police.

"At the time, I was thinking I was a noble soldier that did my job. I did what I was trained to do. I protected people from a monster," Lopez said.

It was an ambush outside the victim's Oak Cliff home. Lopez waited for the American Airlines employee and his wife, Jennifer, to walk outside, and he shot Jamie seven times.

"Being on the battlefield, the human body can take a lot and still live. I did not want him to suffer, so I approached and I fired the rounds into his head," Lopez testified.

The Army veteran claimed to be manipulated by Jennifer after they rekindled a relationship.

She is now serving life in federal prison for interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire. 

Jennifer created a fake email account, making Lopez think her husband found out about the affair and that he was sending Lopez angry and taunting messages. 

The exchanges went on for months, describing alleged physical and sexual abuse by Jamie, and all of it made up by Jennifer.

Lopez said Jennifer told him she hit her breaking point and thought something really bad would happen on October 8. That’s when Lopez made the hours-long drive from his home in Tennessee to Dallas. 

[ATTORNEY: "What’s going through your head the whole way?"]

"Started to transition to a military mindset. I was on a rescue to save Jen and Amber from this man," Lopez responded.

Lopez described finding out later that Jennifer made up the abuse story. 

He said investigators explained that bruises she claimed were from abuse actually happened in a prior car accident. 

"All of a sudden, this abuse pops up and this man who works IT is sending a digital footprint of it," assistant district attorney Brandi Mitchell said.

On cross-examination, Mitchell pressed Lopez, a former special operations soldier, on how he could have missed signs that Jennifer was feeding him false info.

[ATTORNEY: "This whole time you’re talking to Rob or you’re talking to Jennifer but never, never are the three of you talking together?"]

"Not on the same chat, no," Lopez said.

[ATTORNEY: "Never. That didn’t seem strange to you? ‘Hey Rob, we better get on this phone with Jen right now. Maybe you and I can convince her together.’ Nope, never did that?"]

In the months leading up to the murder, Lopez and Jennifer would exchange graphic messages, and their conversations turned to more physically violent forms of sex, which the prosecutor pointed out would have been the same time Jennifer was claiming to be a victim of sexual assault, even gang rape. 

"That is absurd, Mr. Lopez, that you and a grown man are getting updates on a woman being raped," Mitchell said.

The defense team has tried to show that Lopez was manipulated by Jennifer, and she seized on the fact he had brain injury and PTSD from the military. 

Lopez described himself as a victim, but seemed to recognize how that might appear to the jury. 

"I’m not going to say I am the total victim, that would be disrespectful to Mr. Faith," he said.

A high school boyfriend of Jennifer testified via Zoom. 

He said she told him her prior boyfriend allegedly had raped her multiple times. This was discussed as part of the defense trying to prove Jennifer had a pattern of manipulation.

Jurors also heard from a doctor who was brought in by the defense team to evaluate Lopez.

He discussed Lopez’s brain injuries and PTSD stemming from his time in the military, which could impair his perception and processing.

"This became the center of his being and it was as he said, a mission, a survival mission. Eliminate the threat, and that perception of threat is impaired in this case," forensic psychologist Dr. John Fabian said.

Attorneys indicated they are close to wrapping up.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Friday. 

FOX 4 will stream the trial on FOX4News.com and YouTube.