SAN MATEO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: In a shocking and gruesome case that unfolded in California, Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta has been convicted of the first-degree murder of his ex-girlfriend Karina Castro.
On Tuesday, November 21, the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office stated on X (formerly known as Twitter that 34-year-old Landaeta had been found guilty of beheading 27-year-old Castro with a samurai sword, reports People.
Who was Karina Castro?
Castro, the mother-of-two, was killed by Landaeta in a street in San Carlos in September 2022.
Landaeta is the father of the victim's one-year-old daughter. According to ABC 7 in San Francisco, Castro also has another daughter who is aged seven.
What was Jose Landaeta's motive behind killing Karina Castro?
During the trial, the prosecution argued that the motive behind the brutal murder was vengeance while the defense team claimed that Landaeta acted in self-defense due to his mental health issues.
They further asserted that Castro allegedly possessed knives, which were never recovered, and had attempted to stab Landaeta.
The defense team also argued that Castro had threatened their client's family and claimed to have put a hit on Landaeta's mother. The court heard the former couple's arguments and threats on social media platforms Snapchat and Instagram.
Castro reportedly threatened to expose Landaeta's alleged sexual encounters with an underage girl. According to NBC Bay Area, the killer threatened to take their daughter away from Castro and sent her emojis of blood and a ninja.
Despite Landaeta pleading not guilty because of insanity during his arraignment, he could face a potential sentence of 26 years to life in prison.
Karina Castro's father is 'relieved' following the verdict
Speaking to reporters outside the San Mateo courthouse following the verdict, Martin Castro, father of Karina said that he was "relieved, but not as much as I'd like to be."
"While I'm glad he's going to be in prison for as long as humanly possible, my daughter's still gone. I don't find a lot of satisfaction out of this, but I'll take whatever I can get," Martin added.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office had issued a news alert about the woman's murder in September which confirmed at the time that an "adult male" was in custody.
Witnesses had "flagged down" officers near Laurel and Magnolia about "an assault in progress." Authorities discovered a dead woman at the scene and a suspect was taken into custody upon his return to the location.
