Sierra LaMar disappeared five years ago this week

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- This week marks the five-year anniversary of the disappearance of Sierra LaMar. Antolin Garcia-Torres, the man accused of her murder, has been on trial for seven weeks.

The prosecution is still presenting its evidence against Antolin Garcia-Torres.
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Outside the courtroom, LaMar's family reflected on how long it's been since she disappeared.

"It's always a sad day this day, but we're thinking about Sierra," said Steve LaMar, the teen's father.

Today's testimony focused on the accusation that he tried to kidnap three women at Safeway's around Morgan Hill several years before Sierra's disappearance.

The prosecution said fingerprint evidence on a stun gun, knife, and battery found at the scenes of those other attacks points to Garcia-Torres.

"What the defense wants to establish is that it's not Mr. Garcia-Torres that committed these Safeway attacks and they're saying the forensic evidence is really minimal here," said legal analyst Steven Clark.
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"And there's an innocent explanation on how the fingerprint could have gotten on the battery," added Clark.



During the cross-examination, the defense focused on whether the fingerprints found on the evidence was reliable or if it was possibly tainted.


RELATED: Defense gives opening remarks in Sierra LaMar murder trial

The DNA of one of the investigators was transferred on the stun gun and he testified it was embarrassing and he's not sure how that happened.
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"What you'll see the defense try to do is suggest that if it wasn't done properly in the beginning, it really doesn't matter what the evidence shows at the end because there's a break in the chain.

LaMar's friends watched the proceedings to lend their support knowing today may be especially difficult for the family because of the anniversary.

"That was the day the LaMar's life turned upside down and it's a day they can never escape," said Marc Klaas, with the Klaas kids foundation.



The trial is expected to last through April. If convicted Garcia-Torres could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole.