EDINBURG – The theme of fear started to emerge in the murder trial of a Starr County teen Thursday.

The defense alleged their client, Jose Luis Garcia, Jr., was afraid of law enforcement in a small town where everyone talks, between families with a well-known rivalry in the drug trade and of the consequences of trusting the wrong person.

Defense attorneys said these should all be considered when weighing what Garcia said and when he said it.

Garcia is facing charges for murdering Chayse Olivarez in 2017.

During an interview with law enforcement, Garcia told a Texas Ranger his family did not trust police. Attorneys were trying to convey he was scared to be seen talking about the case.

At one point, when talking about the disappearance of Olivarez, Garcia’s lawyers also questioned the ranger’s short time in Starr County. As the reason for his unfamiliarity of the dynamics and history.

In open court Thursday, both prosecutors and defense attorneys asked about the relationship between the Olivarez and Garcia families.

The fathers are suspected of being rivals in the drug trafficking business in Starr County.

Olivarez’ father is currently in prison after getting caught with hundreds of rounds of ammunition back in May.

Garcia’s attorneys now say fear played a role in how the alleged crime developed.