Juan Francisco De Luna gets life in prison for murder
Written by admin, Jul 14, 2016, Comments Off
Courtesy Yanira Deleon,
(Laredo, Texas)-Juan Francisco De Luna who murdered his wife with a hammer last year has been sentenced to life in prison.
On July 2, 2015, at approximately 8:50 p.m., the Laredo Police Department Communications Division received a call regarding a homicide that had taken place at 802 Lane Apartment 3. The body of Angelica Martinez was found lifeless on the floor of the master bedroom surrounded by a pool of blood, a belt tied around her neck and a bloody hammer next to her body. After an argument ensued between Juan Francisco De Luna and Angelica Martinez, De Luna grabbed a hammer and with it struck Martinez at least five times in the head. The autopsy findings revealed she suffered traumatic blunt force to the top and left side of her head and the also revealed she was strangled.
De Luna wrote a letter and left it inside the room asking for forgiveness before leaving the scene. Police received information of his whereabouts and began searching for him at the Hillside apartments. After a vehicle chase ensued, De Luna was later arrested on the 100 block of Illinois where he was hiding under a bush. He was arrested and charged with murder, a first degree felony in the State of Texas.
Juan Francisco De Luna plead guilty to murder before his trial began and elected for the jury to assess his punishment. The punishment phase of the trial took place before the 49th District Court Judge Joe Lopez, which was heard over the course of three days. Multiple witnesses took the stand including the lead investigator of the case, the medical examiner and witnesses who recalled the night of the murder. Evidence was also presented showing De Luna’s past run ins with the law and two previous domestic violence arrests. De Luna testified that he committed the killing of Martinez under sudden passion after discovering Martinez was having an extramarital affair.
In the charge of the court, the jury had to answer “no” to a special issue of punishment which stated that the defendant did not act in the heat of passion arising from adequate cause. After two hours of deliberation, the jury assessed the punishment of life in prison.
Assistant District Attorney’s Philip Del Rio, Juan R. Flores and Aaron Bundoc prosecuted the case for the State.
