Texas Jeweler Convicted of Capital Murder

In just two hours, a Guadalupe County jury convicted Seguin jewelry store owner Alex Torres of murdering New York diamond salesman Majid Zerovabeli in February, 2001.

The capital murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence since the prosecution hadn't sought the death penalty. Torres won't be eligible for parole for 40 years.

Zerovabeli was shot by Torres, 27, after the two got into an argument, dumping the body in a shallow grave on his property. Nine days later, Torres confessed to the murder while undergoing a polygraph test, officials said.

In a "Letter to the Editor" in the April 1, 2001 National Jeweler, Zerovabeli's friend Ron Rahmanan of Sara Gem Corp. described the diamond salesman as hard-working on the road, "yet he was a dedicated husband and father to four children."

In court, Torres claimed that stealing Zerovabeli's diamonds was not his motive, although prosecutors believed otherwise. Testifying on his own behalf, Torres told the court that he was "not himself" on the day of the crime. His attorney, Alan Futrell, backed up the claim, saying his client was abusing steroids at the time of the crime, altering the jeweler's personality.

Zerovabeli's family told KSAT 12 News that they were pleased with the jury's decision.