Ja’Naya Thompson’s Killer Pleads Guilty to Capital Murder

It’s a heartbreaking story that left many wondering why. Another step in the path to justice for the brutal murder of Ja’Naya Thompson as the man charged with her murder pleads guilty.
It was a somber courtroom as Alberto Garcia calmly described how he sexually assaulted five-year-old Ja’Naya Thompson where her body was found in a trailer on Whitney Road on July 16th, 2014, a chilling testimony that left family members of the young girl in shambles. Felicia Farmer, a family member of Ja’Naya, said, “It’s, it’s just hard. That’s all I can say is it is hard, very hard. My heart goes out to her grandmother because she is very torn apart by it.”
Garcia originally pled not guilty in October 2015, but changed his plea in front of Judge Lisa Dodson early Wednesday morning. District Attorney Joel Smith says had the case gone to trial DNA evidence would have clearly implicated Garcia in her murder. Garcia testified a man named Julian Gray assisted in her hanging and took part in the sexual assault, but Smith says the evidence excluded Gray from the case. Sentencing begins Monday. “The state intends to put on all of the evidence that it obtained through the investigation in order to give Judge Dodson a full picture of the evidence in this case and not just what the defendant said today,” said Smith.
Garcia faces either life without parole or the death penalty. Gulfport Police Chief Leonard Papania expressed gratitude towards the District Attorney’s Office and the community for their patience throughout this lengthy legal process. “It seems like it’s taken a lot of time, but I can tell you in the background a lot of work has gone on.”
While this plea by Garcia is a huge milestone in the prosecution of the case, family members live daily with the heavy burden of what happened to their little girl. “I don’t even really know what to say about it. It was terrible for what he did, very terrible to do a child like that,” said Farmer.
Garcia has been held with no bond at the Harrison County Jail since his arrest in 2015.