Mobile, AL. (NBC 15) -- New testimony in a preliminary hearing is shedding light on a disturbing connection between a murder suspect and one of the victims -- while prosecutors argue the crime may have been sexually motivated.
Investigators with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office say the case began on January 31st. 40 yr old mother Auriela Choc's coworkers came to pick her up for work and she wasn't there. A friend and neighbor of the Choc family, according to testimony, entered the home through an unlocked window and noticed small amounts of blood inside before calling authorities.
Inside the home on Ben Hamilton Road, deputies say they found blood in multiple areas, including a couch, a bedroom, and near a bathroom. The teen's purse -- containing her ID and cash -- was also found inside, along with missing bedding from one of the rooms. Investigators noted there were no signs of forced entry.
During the hearing, investigators revealed the 17-year-old victim, Niurka Choc, had a prior connection to the defendant.
Testimony showed Niurka was friends with another juvenile, whose home the defendant had visited while in a relationship with the friend's mother.
That connection, prosecutors say, is key.
Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood says the evidence suggests this was not a random act of violence. "I think that these crimes were clearly committed in part due to some kind of sexual deviancy"
Investigators pointed to the condition in which the teen was found as part of that argument. Authorities say she was discovered beneath the other two victims, without clothing, and had suffered multiple stab wounds.
Blackwood says the circumstances point to a broader and more disturbing motive."This is an absolutely horrific crime an entire family snuffed out"
Testimony indicated both Auriela and 2 year old Anthony Choc were likely targeted because they were present at the time.
Authorities say all three victims were later found in a remote area of Baldwin County, buried in a shallow grave weeks after they were reported missing.
Key evidence presented in court includes surveillance video and cell phone data that investigators say tracks the suspect's movements.
Video shows a black work van repeatedly driving to and from the victims' home overnight -- stopping multiple times for extended periods.
Cell tower data, investigators say, placed a single phone at the home, at several locations afterward, and ultimately near the site where the bodies were discovered.
That phone number was later linked to the defendant -- and authorities say the same phone was found on him at the time of his arrest.
The suspect was eventually taken into custody in Baldwin County after a car and on foot chase, according to testimony. Investigators say he later gave a false name and denied knowing the victims.
He now faces multiple charges, including: 8 capital murder, 3 abuse of corpse and obstruction of justice charges.
A judge has ruled there is probable cause in the case, meaning it will now move forward to a grand jury. While a timeline for trial remains unclear, Blackwood says he believes the case will ultimately lead to justice.
"I think a jury is going to make of that what we argue and we are confident in the outcome."