Ex-wife of Exeter Police Officer to stand trial for his murder a second time

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KGPE) – The jury has now been selected for the trial of Erika Sandoval in Porterville. She is accused of killing Exeter Police Officer Daniel Green in February 2015.

The trial begins on Thursday, with opening statements taking place exactly 10 years to the day that Daniel Green was shot and killed inside his home. The case went to trial in 2019, but it was declared a mistrial due to a hung jury. Double jeopardy does not apply because no verdict was reached, meaning the case can be retried.

This time around, the case trial will happen at the Superior Court of Tulare County in Porterville in front of Judge Juliet Boccone.

Much like five years ago, Sandoval will stand before a jury who will determine her fate. They will have to decide if she was a battered, abused ex-wife who snapped or a calculated killer jealous that Daniel Green had moved on.

The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office is seeking first-degree murder and the death penalty.

“In our mind, we feel that the evidence is strong and we are going to proceed with the same theory that we had,” said District Attorney Tim Ward back in 2019. “This is Justice delayed not justice denied.”

The question regarding the motive remains. Back in 2019, David Alavezos was the lead prosecuting attorney. He argued Sandoval was a calculated killer who was jealous after seeing Green in a social media post with another woman. He accused her of planning the attack and lying in wait. A special circumstance that makes the case eligible for the death penalty.

Sandoval’s former attorney Dan Chambers painted Sandoval as a battered ex-wife who snapped out of concern for the safety of their child. Sandoval does have a new defense team. It is not clear what their strategy will be, and whether or not she will take the stand again.

The District Attorney’s Office says the trial is expected to last two and a half months.