In December 2019, two years after Cayley Mandadi's disturbing demise, Mark Howerton is finally brought to trial for allegedly kidnapping, assaulting and murdering her.
JUDGE: How do you plead, Mr. Howerton.
MARK HOWERTON: Not guilty, your honor.
Peter Van Sant: What was it like to see Mark Howerton in the courtroom?
Alison Steele: Like everybody else, I'd try not to look at him too much
The trial begins with prosecutor Alessandra Cranshaw's opening statement.
ALESSANDRA CRANSHAW (in court): I think the best way to tell this story … is to start where Cayley Mandadi's life ended. And that's in the car of this defendant.
Prosecutors allege that Howerton forcefully escorted Cayley from the Mala Luna Music Festival to his car. He then drove her to a parking lot where he sexually assaulted and beat her, causing a fatal brain bleed. Cranshaw presented photos showing Cayley's condition about 18 hours after she arrived at the hospital.
ALESSANDRA CRANSHAW (in court): Cayley is covered with bruises from head to toe … I believe that you will have no reservations about finding this defendant guilty of the offense of murder.
JOHN HUNTER (in court):Things are not always as they seem.
In his opening statement, defense attorney John Hunter attacks the very foundation of the prosecution's case.
JOHN HUNTER (in court): Mark Howerton did not cause Cayley's death.
JOHN HUNTER (in court): No one saw anything that transpired between Mark Howerton and Cayley Mandadi that evening on the 29th. There are no eyewitnesses.
The state begins its case with paramedic Sharyl Lane, who was driving an ambulance up to the Luling hospital that night when a vehicle suddenly appeared behind her.
SHARYL LANE (in court): There's a black car behind us honking and flashing the lights. … Before I even get out, I see a gentleman that's hollering and screaming. I open the door. He's telling me that — his girlfriend is not breathing. And he needs help.
When Lane looked inside Howerton's car, she saw a disturbing scene.
SHARYL LANE (in court): She was exposed … And her pants and her clothes … were in the floorboard by her feet. … She … had bruises on her, just multiple bruises that I just remember seeing. … that's when I started CPR.
But Hunter says not everyone at the hospital believed Cayley had been attacked.
John Hunter: The treating physician at the Luling hospital — approached this as a drug overdose.
Peter Van Sant: Wasn't that because Mark had told them he thought she had overdosed?
John Hunter: Correct. But the symptoms she was presenting were consistent with that patient history.
Peter Van Sant: Was this woman beaten or not?
John Hunter: No.
Hunter insists the photos showing bruising on Cayley don't point to foul play.
John Hunter: By the time that the sexual assault nurse … photographs her … she has been resuscitated. Six times, I believe. Maybe eight. … She's had a chest tube inserted. She's had IVs placed on both arms. … She's been worked over by those physicians at the Luling hospital in a traumatic way.
While the medical team fought for Cayley's life, police interviewed and photographed Mark Howerton. Police officer Chris Adams.
DAVID LUNAN | Prosecutor: Do they look red to you?
OFFICER CHRIS ADAMS: Yes, sir.
DAVID LUNAN: Unusually red?
OFFICER CHRIS ADAMS: Yes, sir.
Evidence, investigators believe, that Howerton did hit Cayley.
DEPUTY CALENTINE (to Howerton on bodycam): Those actually do look like they have scabs already on them.
The Mark Howerton arrested after Cayley's death was an enormously muscled, intimidating figure. Cayley's friends say he used steroids.
Christy Jack: … even in such a confined space. … it would've been relatively easy for him to cause that kind of damage to her head.
Howerton initially cooperated with investigators, allowing police to search his Mercedes, where they found a gun and marijuana.
John Hunter: If he was worried about himself, he would have told the police to get a warrant.
Instead, Hunter says, Howerton was much more concerned about Cayley.
MARK HOWERTON (police interview): Can I find out an update on her, please? Is there any way?
The only person who could counter Howerton's story was dead. Investigators hoped Cayley's remains might speak on her behalf. Dr. Suzanna Dana performed the autopsy and said the evidence shows Cayley was beaten to death.