Verdict: Abilene man accused of 2021 body dump found guilty in 4/5 charges

TAYLOR COUNTY, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – Caleb Fears, a suspect in the 2021 murder of 23-year-old Sweetwater man, Adrian Vizzera, was found guilty of four out of five charges by a Taylor County jury Friday afternoon.

According to court documents, Vizzera’s body was discovered the morning of October 15, 2021 near the Abilene Brush Center. It is believed that Fears’ cousin, Seth Adam Blake, shot into his across-the-street neighbor’s home, hitting two men. One was injured and the other killed. Meanwhile, Fears is believed to have taken Vizzera’s body and improperly disposed of it at the recycling center. Blake was later arrested, and found guilty of Vizzera’s murder last May .

Fears was initially arrested and charged with the following crimes on October 20, 2021:

• 3 counts of second degree Felony Aggravated Assault – recommended bonds total $65,000
• Third degree Felony Tamper With Evidence – judge-set bond of $200,000
• First degree Felony Murder – judge-set bond of $300,000

A jury for Fears’ trial was chosen Monday, April 8, 2024, and the trial began the following day.

Trial day 1

During the first day of Fears’ trial, multiple pieces of evidence were submitted to the jury. Evidence shown included photographs of the crime scene at the home on Sycamore Street, showing blood stains on the driveway and blood spatter on the walls. The defense talked about the victim’s clothes seized, including Vizzera’s shirt which was then entered into evidence. A medical examiner explained Vizzera’s autopsy photos, and the state requested that all blood samples be entered into evidence. However, it was revealed that much of the blood discovered at the crime scene was not tested because it wasn’t “primate blood,” as according to an Arizona-based forensic specialist.

Trial day 2

On trial day two, Wednesday, video evidence was shown in the courtroom. That video showed a pickup truck, with identifiers that linked it to Fears, arriving to Schaffner Road from East Highway 80 the night of October 14, 2021. Video then showed the pickup leave a short time later.

Fears was also allegedly caught on camera washing the truck the day after Vizzera was killed, but court documents state blood was visible on the truck bed when it was located outside the motel where Blake was arrested.

Trial day 3

During trial day three on Thursday, the lead investigator on the case from the Abilene Police Department took the witness stand to explain their findings, reiterating evidence impact.

Trial day 4

On Friday morning during the final day of Fears’ trial, it was revealed that Adrian Vizzera, 23, was killed by either blunt force trauma to the head or strangulation, but the medical examiner could not say which was the final cause of death.

Verdict

A Taylor County jury found Caleb Fears guilty of Aggravated Assault and Tampering With Evidence. He was found not guilty of his Murder charge.

As part of a plea deal, Fears pleaded guilty to a separate Aggravated Assault case from 2018. His harshest sentences stem from his Tampering With Evidence charges, but each sentence will run concurrently for a total of 15 years in state jail.

Per court documents, Fears intentionally fired shots into an Abilene home, sending bullets through a 13-year-old girl’s bedroom window while she was in her room. The girl was not injured in this event.

BigCountryHomepage.com will release his sentencing when that information is made available.

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