Day 7
Sentencing is underway in Caldwell County with several speaking Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors told the court they are asking for a life sentence on the murder charge and 20 years on the tampering charge.
The defense team countered saying Fabian has never been in trouble before and with the verdict, both the Verk and Fabian families will be destroyed.
“We’ve got two families who lives will be ruined now,” the defense said Wednesday morning.
Glenn Verk
Glenn Verk was the first to speak in court on Wednesday describing who his daughter was and what it has been like for their family since her disappearance.
He described Wednesday as one, “he had been dreading and looking forward to for a long time.”
Glenn told the court his daughter Zuzu was a naturalist, an ecologist and someone he was very proud of.
However, the disappearance and the search for Zuzu took a toll on the entire family, he said Wednesday morning.
The father said Zuzu was a very independent person but when they stopped hearing from her, it was concerning.
The Verk family then traveled to Alpine to find out what was going on and the massive search for the Sul Ross State University student began.
Glenn told the court that many had hope they would find his daughter, but as the investigation escalated it began to feel like, “they were searching for a body.”
He also credited the entire town of Alpine, as many volunteered to search for his daughter and were always supportive of the Verk family, with the exception of Fabian, who never joined the search.
Glenn said it was, “depressing but encouraging,” in reference to the city getting behind them in the search.
As you may recall, the search went on for weeks and months as investigators and volunteers covered each piece of Brewster County, as well as neighboring counties, in search of Zuzu.
Despite the support, Glenn said it was “depressing” but the family held out hope as long as they could.
That was until February when a set of remains were found in a remote area of Brewster County, which were eventually identified as Zuzu.
“On one hand it was relief,” Glenn said about the remains being found, “a real bitter sweet relief.”
Glenn then spoke again of his daughter, the impact she had on the community and how he will remember her.
“I don’t know if I can describe Zuzu completely, but I know she touched a lot of lives,” Glenn told the court Wednesday. “The work has lost a special person and I am so proud of who she was.”
Felix Venegas
Next the defense called a friend of Fabian’s to speak in court on Wednesday.
Felix Venegas, who knew Fabian in high school, told the court Fabian was a friendly person who had an outgoing, bubbly personality.
He also said Fabian was a really good student who consistently had good grades, someone that never got into arguments or fights and someone who never got into trouble.
Lorenzo Barcena
Next was Lorenzo Barcena who had known Fabian since they were in fifth grade together.
Barcena said Fabian was someone he could count on.
“He was a good guy,” Barcena said. “Whenever I was feeling down, he would pick me back up.”
He echoed the statements from Venegas said Fabian was a great student and someone who was never in trouble and was always supportive to him.
Furthermore, the friend told the court that Fabian was very close with his family and would help support them financially.
He recalled only one conversation with Fabian about Zuzu, noting that what took place was “extraordinary” and that he was still in shock.
Leticia Fabian
Finally, the defense called Fabian’s mother, Leticia Fabian to speak to the court.
Leticia said her son was hard working, family oriented and someone who was taught manners in his life.
She told the court Robert didn’t have a father figure growing up and got his first job when he was 13 or 14 to help support the family financially.
He continued to work until he got a new job at a pharmacy in college, according to his mother.
She also stated that Robert was an excellent student who received plenty of scholarship offers and is the only person in the family to have graduated from college.
“I am very proud of him,” Leticia Fabian said in court Wednesday.
Leticia went on to say that Fabian was never in trouble and was always involved in activities like football or golf saying, “everyone loved him.”
She then became very emotional as she described a time when she became ill and Robert helped her with treatments and speaking with doctors.
“I am very proud of my son because today I am alive because of him,” Leticia said.
She also noted that the entire family will remain close to him.
Day 7: Fabian to be sentenced Wednesday
