Bliss Soldier Pleads Guilty On Intoxicated Manslaughter Charge

Bliss Soldier Pleads Guilty On Intoxicated Manslaughter Charge
KFOXtv.com
Monica Balderrama-KFOX News Reporter
Posted: 2:03 pm MDT July 20, 2009
Updated: 3:04 pm MDT July 20, 2009

EL PASO, Texas -- The Fort Bliss soldier accused of killing a 19-year-old Burgess graduate while drinking and driving pleaded guilty on Monday during his intoxicated manslaughter trial. The trial moved forward to the punishment phase where the jury will decide the soldier's fate.

Staff Sgt. Edison Bayas, 37, waived his right to a jury trial when he pleaded guilty Monday morning. But the jury still has to decide his punishment, which could range from two to 20 years in prison.

As KFOX reported in December 2007, 19-year-old Valerie Talamantes was stopped at a red light on Montana and Hawkins and Bayas allegedly came barreling through and crashed into the back of Talamantes' car.
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Was he self-medicating? Does he have PTSD? Your guess is as good as mine. The outcome is a soldier is facing jail and a young woman is now dead. A family is grieving while another family must be trying to come to terms with what happened. Could it have been avoided?