SAN ANTONIO – Update: The trial has recessed for the day and will resume at 9 a.m. Friday.
The murder trial for Andre McDonald will resume on Thursday.
The Air Force major is facing first-degree felony murder and tampering with evidence charges in connection with the death of his wife, Andreen McDonald, in 2019.
On Wednesday, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office investigators testified about finding evidence at the couple’s home that raised red flags.
BCSO Deputy Richard Lozano told jurors that a team of deputies was dispatched to the McDonald’s home on March 2, 2019, to make a welfare check on Andreen, one day after she was reported missing by her mother. Lozano said the deputies found the garage door broken off its hinges. He said it raised a concern because the garage door was not broken the day before.
BCSO Sgt. John Mahan, who was among the lead investigators in the case, testified about the day that Andreen McDonald’s remains were found on private property about five miles from the McDonald home.
“(Her) remains were found next to or amongst animal remains,” Mahan testified.
He said a cross tattoo was visible on Andreen McDonald’s remains and a wig believed to belong to her was also found following a thorough search on July 12 on the property on Specht Road in north Bexar County. An arrest warrant on a murder charge for Andre McDonald was executed the next day.
Watch the full proceedings in the video player above and follow along as KSAT’s court reporter Erica Hernandez live tweets from the court room. Keep reading below for background on the case.
Background
Andreen McDonald was last seen alive on Feb. 28, 2019.
McDonald was the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance when family and friends reported her missing several days later.
According to court records, he gave investigators conflicting statements on her whereabouts and then stopped cooperating after hiring an attorney.
After months of searching, officials found Andreen’s remains in July 2019, at a private property in far north Bexar County.
Soon after the discovery, Andre McDonald was charged with murder.
Over the past couple of years, McDonald’s case has been reset a few times; first due to the pandemic and then when the prosecution team received additional evidence from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
Back on Oct 12, 2022, 399th District Court Judge Frank Castro said there would be no further delays and the trial was set for jury selection to begin on Jan. 17.
The prosecutors for the state are Steven Speir, Ryan Groomer and Lauren Scott.
McDonald’s defense team consists of John Convery and John Hunter.
If found guilty of murder McDonald faces anywhere from 5 to 99 years or life in prison.
Learn more about this case by watching KSAT’s exclusive “Open Court: The Trial of Andre McDonald” on KSAT.com, KSAT Plus or on KSAT’s YouTube channel.