Ohio man sentenced to life in prison for 1997 cold case murder in Lenawee County
An Ohio man has been sentenced to life in prison in connection with a cold case murder out of Lenawee County, Michigan.
Richardo Sepulveda, 53, of Cincinnati, was sentenced Friday in 39th Circuit Court, following up on an earlier conviction by a Lenawee County jury, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel reported in a press release.
His co-defendant, Michael Sepulveda, 51, of Toledo, was sentenced in May to 10 to 30 years in prison on second-degree murder in the same case.
The older man was found guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, one count of assault with intent to maim, one count of conspiracy to commit assault with intent to maim, one count of tampering with evidence and one count of conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence.
The charges are related to the discovery of partial human remains on Nov. 19, 1997, in Blissfield Township. The victim's identity has not been confirmed, but he is believed to be a 32-year-old man from the Corpus Christi/McAllen area of Texas. Charges in the case were filed in January 2023.
Nessel said the death is believed to be connected to international drug trafficking.
"Every victim deserves to have their case thoroughly investigated and pursued," said Nessel in a statement. "Thanks to the tireless efforts of prosecutors in my office and local, state, and federal law enforcement, justice has finally been served nearly three decades after this horrific murder. My office will continue to stand up for crime victims and ensure offenders are held accountable."
