Five details about the double murder of Jacob Ybarra and Sabion Kubitza explored

The young footballers of Mart, Jacob Ybarra, and Sabion Kubitza lost their lives to gun violence on April 18, 2021, as their friend and star footballer, Zamar Kirven, shot them in their sleep. Zamar was high on the hallucinogenic drug LSD when he carried out the double murder with his Glock 9 mm, per KWTX.

Zamar had also attempted to kill his best friend, Shatydrick Bailey, the same night but failed as the latter escaped. The Murder Under the Friday Night Lights season 3 episode 7, titled Breaking Bonds, showcases the details of the 2021 double murder.

The synopsis reads,

"The Ybarra family wake to find their son Jacob and his best friend, Sabion, shot to death; as star football players for their high schools, the murders shatter two small Texas towns; the tragedy worsens when the community learns who the killer is."

The episode airs on February 21, 2024, at 10 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery.

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Five details of Jacob Ybarra and Sabion Kubitza's murder explored

1) Jacob Ybarra, Sabion Kubitza, and Zamar Kirven were close friends who played football together

Jacob Ybarra, 20, and his cousin Sabion Kubitza, 22, were friends with Zamar Kirven, 23. While Jacob, Kirven, and Kirven's best friend, Shatydrick Bailey, played together on the Mart High School football team, Kubitza played on the Riesel High School team.

After the deaths of Jacob Ybarra and Sabion Kubitza, Ybarra's girlfriend, Jessie Eaton, spoke to Fox 44 News and shared,

“They were all real close. They let him stay with them. They all lived together, and they were always hanging out.”

While Bailey played running back and defensive tackle on two of Mart’s state championship teams, Kirven was known as the star linebacker who was set to make it to the NFL.

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2) Zamar was reportedly high on drugs when he carried out the shootings

On the evening of April 17, 2018, Bailey testified to Kirven, Kubitza, and Ybarra going to Limestone County to get LSD. While he planned to attend a party the same night, he refused to tag along.

After Zamar carried out the killings in the East Texas Avenue home, he got into Ybarra's parents' bed around 1:30 to 1:45 a.m. and reportedly spoke in a disoriented fashion. Anthony Medlock, Jacob Ybarra's father, who lived in the same house, shared with KWTX,

"He said, ‘Is this the way you look when you die?’ He said, ‘They are out to get me. They are out to get me.’ My wife and I asked him who was out to get him and he just said, ‘I don’t know.’”

Medlock testified that Kirven admitted to being high on acid while he spoke to them at night.

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3) Zamar Kirven was a star linebacker who played with the University of Houston

Zamar Kirven had played on the Mart State Championship team and then went on to play two seasons at the University of Houston, where he gained popularity. He played with the University of Houston Cougars in 2018 and 2019 but was soon dismissed owing to a violation of team rules.

He was suspended from the university in 2020 due to issues with his academics, and a federal charge of illegal gun possession came up.

However, Zamar's family believed that he was the way out for them, as his athletic skills brought fame to the small Texan town of Mart.

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4) Zamar's brother, Kevin Kirven, tried to protect him by confessing to the crimes

Zamar Kirven's older cousin and convicted felon, Kevin Kirven, confessed to the double murders of Jacob Ybarra and Sabion Kubitza in an alleged effort to save Kirven from the charges.

He addressed the jurors in Waco’s 54th State District Court to say,

“I wanted to keep him out of trouble so he wouldn’t mess his life up like me. I took matters into my own hands. I told him to give me the gun because I didn’t want him doing anything crazy.”

The prosecutors dismissed the claim as the statement failed to match the evidence in court.

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5) Zamar Kirven was sentenced to life in prison

Zamar Kirven was charged with capital murder and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. His conviction came in on June 23, 2023, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald.

He is presently incarcerated at the McLennan County Jail in Waco, Texas.

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The Murder Under the Friday Night Lights episode focusing on the double murder of Jacob Ybarra and Sabion Kubitza airs on February 21, 2024, at 10 p.m. EST on Investigation Discovery.