Jorge “George” Torrez, 21, a former U.S. Marine being held in an Arlington, Virginia jail for an attempted abduction on February 10, 2010 and a brutal rape February 27, 2010, is now being investigated in the May 8, 2005 (Mother’s Day) murders of of Laura Hobbs, 8 and Krystal Tobias, 9. Both girls were found beaten and stabbed to death in Bealuh Park in Zion. Torrez’s DNA matched semen evidence found on Laura Hobbs’ body and skirt during research by Lake County prosecutors using a National DNA database on June 25, 2010. The DNA did not match the DNA profile of Jerry Hobbs. Jorge Torrez attended Zion-Benton Township High School before he joined the Marines in 2006.
The DNA match with Torrez could mean exoneration for Laura’s father, Jerry Hobbs, 39, who has been in prison for five years in Lake County jail. Hobbs has stated his confession was coerced by police, according to Keith Grant, his public defender.
Laura Hobbs was stabbed 22 times, including once in each eye. Some of the nine wounds to her neck penetrated through to her cervical spine. Krystal Tobias was stabbed 11 times, with four wounds to her neck.