Manatee County man sentenced to life in prison in connection to wife's death
A Manatee County man was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in connection to the killing of his 29-year-old wife, a Palmetto mom of four, according to the 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office.
Julian Ortiz-Castillo was arrested more than two years ago and has been in the Manatee County Jail, according to jail records. Ortiz-Castillo was found guilty after a three-day trial and sentenced on March 1, according to a news release from State Attorney Ed Brodsky's Office.
Ortiz-Castillo was previously indicted by a Manatee County grand jury in January 2021, according to previous reporting by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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In early August 2020, police were called to a residence on 2nd Ave. W. for a reported stabbing, previous Herald-Tribune reporting stated. When officers arrived, Jessica Martinez-Lumbreras was found dead, stabbed 35 times, according to state attorney officials.
The couple's four children, then 5, 6, 9 and 11, were asleep in their rooms and had been unharmed.
An investigation revealed the couple hosted a party for friends the night before and began arguing, which escalated. When police arrived, they found Ortiz-Castillo with visible wounds. He was sent to a local hospital.
"Police initially believed the defendant to be a victim until they realized his story of an intruder was implausible and his treating physician found most of his wounds 'superficial,'" prosecutors said in the news release. Prosecutors said it was unclear if Ortiz-Castillo did so to support his intruder theory or if it was a failed attempt at suicide.
Further investigation found that the home's door was locked, there were no signs of forced entry, and a doorbell camera didn't capture video of an intruder. Prosecutors added that DNA evidence and testimony from a blood spatter expert helped seal a conviction.
“This crime utterly devastated Jessica’s family, and unfortunately, they will never be the same," Assistant State Attorney Suzanne O’Donnell said in the news release. "Hopefully, this verdict will provide some comfort to them.”
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Palmetto man sentenced to life in prison in connection to wife's death
