DES MOINES, Iowa — Editor's Note: The video above is from July 18, 2019.
The court date for the man accused of killing a mother and her two children in July 2019 is now scheduled for March 2021, according to court filings from Friday.
The court filing says his trial will begin on March 15, 2021 at 9 a.m. at the Polk County Courthouse. His previous trial date had been set for May 11, 2020.
Esquivel Lopez, also known as Marvin Oswaldo Escobar Orellana, is accused of shooting and killing 29-year-old Rossibeth Flores Rodriguez and her two children, 11-year-old Grecia Daniela Alvarado Flores and 5-year-old Ever Jose Mejia Flores on July 16, 2019.
Friends of Flores Rodriguez said they thought Esquivel Lopez had been controlling over her and her children. Authorities believed there was no indication of the two being in a domestic relationship.
Court documents later showed Esquivel Lopez's wife said she was present during the killings.
The suspect had told authorities that he shot at Flores Rodriguez in self-defense. Later on, court documents revealed he waited to call police after shooting them.
Esquivel Lopez stirred the pot on illegal immigration, having been deported from the country twice before being charged with three counts of first-degree murder.