The Tennessee man accused of killing Oak Cliff resident James Faith will appear in court. (Stock image of a courtroom by Pexels)
Almost three years after James Faith was gunned down in front of his Oak Cliff home — and more than one year after his widow, Jennifer Faith, was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating the murder — Darrin Lopez, the accused hit man, will have his day in court.
Jury selection in the Darrin Lopez murder trial is set to begin Friday.
The crime happened in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Oak Cliff couple Jennifer and Jamie Faith, taking advantage of the work-from-home trend, were in the habit of walking their dog Maggie each morning at 7:30. On October 9, 2020, seconds after they stepped out the front door, gunshots and screams rang through the neighborhood. A gunman had come out of nowhere, shooting Jamie seven times, three bullets to the face, three to the chest and one to the groin.
The first witness to call 911 told police he saw a black extended-cab truck leaving the scene.
Neighbors rushed to aid and comfort Jennifer Faith, who told police that the killer beat her before fleeing.
In ensuing days the widow continued to cooperate with authorities. She granted TV interviews and pleaded with the public to “find that truck.”
People brought casseroles and started a fundraiser — between the Oak Cliff community and Jamie’s coworkers at American Airlines, some $60,000 was collected for Jennifer Faith.
Darrin Lopez mug shot
When police found the truck in Tennessee, they learned its owner, Darrin Lopez, a military combat veteran with a head injury, we later learned, is connected to Jennifer. He’s her high school beau, and they’ve been communicating. A lot.
Later police revealed that Jennifer Faith and Darrin Lopez had been exchanging hundreds of text messages every day, in the months before and after the murder, save for a block of hours on October 8-9, 2020. “The afternoon before the murder, the phones suddenly stopped communicating, and did not start communicating again until nine hours after James Faith was killed,” according to a DOJ release.
By 2021, the feds had enough to indict Jennifer Faith, alleging she manipulated Lopez into believing, falsely, that her husband was physically and sexually abusing her, that she gave a lot of that $60k to Lopez and that she convinced him to commit the crime. She pled guilty.
Jennifer and Jamie Faith
U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah said Jennifer Faith “preyed on [Lopez’] protective instinct and his pocketbook in order to convince him to execute her husband.
“Jamie Faith’s brutal murder was a tragedy. His death has been a double blow to his family and friends, who had just begun to absorb the news of his murder when they were confronted with evidence of his wife’s alleged involvement,” Shah said. “We are committed to getting justice for Jamie — and to holding both Ms. Faith and Mr. Lopez accountable for their alleged crimes.”
After hearing evidence presented by the prosecutor, United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle admonished Jennifer Faith calling her “pure evil” before imposing a life sentence.
After sentencing, U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said Jennifer’s “sob story to reporters and law enforcement” could not stop the feds from uncovering her role. “We were committed to getting justice for Jamie, and with the judge’s imposition of a life sentence this afternoon, we’re one step closer.”
The next step:
Darrin Lopez has been sitting in Dallas County Jail since his Jan. 2021 arrest for murder and federal firearm crimes (for carrying his .45 caliber handgun, still in his possession when he was arrested, across state lines).
His trial has been postponed multiple times, as his defense collects voluminous military records, according to court documents.
The defense could be planning to present proof that Lopez suffered a traumatic brain injury during his time in Iraq, resulting in disability (which already has been widely reported), as well as some kind of evidence that his condition made him especially susceptible to Jennifer Faith’s manipulation.
Still, Attorney Shah says, “This defendant allegedly gunned down an innocent man in broad daylight. I hope this case makes one thing crystal clear: If you carry a gun across state lines in order to commit violence, you will be subject to federal prosecution.”
Lopez could receive life in prison if convicted of murder and 10 years for the firearms charge. Opening arguments begin Monday, following jury selection on Friday.
