SAN ANTONIO — One year after the death of a Trinity University sophomore and cheerleader, her accused killer and ex-boyfriend is charged with her murder and brutal sexual assault.
Cayley Mandadi’s mother, Alison Steele, spoke exclusively to KENS 5 on Tuesday, saying she's frustrated that Mark Howerton can’t stand trial until key DNA evidence is produced by a Texas DPS crime lab.
That lab, however, is currently backlogged.
“Really, there’s no way to put it into words,” Steele said. “Every day is a nightmare. We’re still living in October of 2017."
Steele said she starts off each day inside of her daughter’s untouched bedroom.
“We have kept it the way she wanted it and the way she had it before she went to university,” she said.
The room still houses pictures, memories, childhood stuffed animals and even Mandadi’s beloved dog. But now, the room serves a new purpose—it's what Steele calls her “war room” in the fight for justice.
“It’s my job to advocate for my child,” she said. “I’ve moved my own computer in here so I can do research and keep up with things, and it helps me to feel closer to her in her absence.”
Back in April, Howerton was indicted by a Bexar County Grand Jury for murder, aggravated sexual assault and criminal mischief.
But progress in his trial has stalled due to key DNA evidence that has yet to be tested by the backlogged crime lab.
The 13 Texas crime labs see thousands of backlogged cases each year. According to the State of Texas’s legislative budget board, DPS crime labs saw nearly 16,000 backlogged DNA cases in 2017.
Steele said it's concerning that Howerton is out on bond while that crucial evidence sits in the lab. As a result, she's taken it upon herself to write to lawmakers and Gov. Greg Abbott to ask for change and more funding for crime labs.
“I don’t want to seem like we’re asking for special treatment,” Steele said. “This issue affects thousands of Texans.”
The Bexar County District Attorney’s office agrees with her. They provided the following to KENS:
“The need for accurate, reliable and timely forensic testing in criminal cases is essential to our efforts to seek justice… we hope Governor Abbott and the Texas Legislature will take steps to adequately fund the DPS crime lab… for the sake of Cayley and thousands of other crime victims across the state of Texas.”
A spokesperson with DPS tells KENS 5 that while they work as quickly as possible, they are limited by resources and funding.
They added they will be discussing their needs with the state legislature in the upcoming 2019 session.
It’s a step in the right direction for Steele—not only in the fight for Cayley, but for the thousands of families in Texas that await justice.
Howerton’s next pretrial hearing is set for Nov. 29.