‘We are working to forgive him’: Relative of slain McGregor family reacts to alleged killer regaining competency to stand trial
McGREGOR, Texas (KWTX) - “We are working to forgive him.”
Those are the words from the family that fell victim to the accused McGregor mass shooter as they prepare to pack the courtroom for his hearing.
Judge Thomas West of Waco’s 19th State District Court signed an order Sept. 16 declaring Nicolas Jaimes-Hernandez, 37, competent to stand trial after the Mexican national spent four months at a state hospital.
Jaimes-Hernandez is charged with capital murder in the killings of Monica Aviles and her teenage children, Miguel Avila and Natalie Avila on Sept. 29, 2022. He was living with the 38-year-old Aviles on South Monroe Street in McGregor at the time of the shooting rampage.
He also is charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths Lori Aviles and her 20-year-old daughter, Natalie, who lived next door to the family.
“His hearing was set for October 16 so we are planning on having everybody out there so we can continue with getting justice for you guys,” Renee Flores said as she looked over the gravesites of her sister-in-law and niece.
Flores came to share the news with her girls after nearly three years of back-and-forth, wondering what justice would look like. They say they now finally have some comfort.
“Finally get some justice. Move forward with the case and that’s kind of our hope. But this is a win for us. We all knew so it was nice to hear someone say he is competent,” Flores says.
She says she thinks it’s serendipitous that the news came down just days before the anniversary of Lori and Natalie’s deaths.
“It has already been three years. It will be three years on Monday and it’s time to stop playing games and for justice to be served,” she says.
As far as the death penalty, Flores says they are Christians and that isn’t their call, and that Natalie and Lori would agree.
“Someone took five people, two different families. Their worlds were turned upside down that day. So the death penalty, I’m not sure the family wants that on them but they are putting it into the hands of the state,” she says.
So they wait. Not with anger but with resolve.
And until that courtroom day comes, you’ll often find Flores at the McGregor Cemetery, where the wind whispers through the trees and where she still speaks to the women she lost.
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