EDINBURG - A man who confessed to murdering his girlfriend was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
A jury decided Jose Luis Cantu’s fate. He had pleaded guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Nelly Casas. She was killed in 2006.
Cantu showed little emotion as Judge Ricardo Rodriguez read his sentence. However, his family was clearly upset as their son was led out of the courtroom.
Cantu rejected a plea deal last week, which would’ve included a sentence of 40 years in prison. Instead, he opted to put his fate in the hands of a jury.
The jury made their decision after witness testimony. The evidence in the sentencing phase included a portion of Cantu’s confession to CHANNEL 5 NEWS cameras. It was recorded after his arrest in Mexico.
"These cases aren't easy,” says Andrew Almaguer of the Hidalgo County District Attorney’s Office. “Both sides are affected. Now the family has to rebuild and find a way to think of better things. They'll never forget their loved one."
Defense attorney Carlos Garcia tells us, “I have no doubt that Jose Luis and his family are remorseful about what occurred. And we asked the jury to deliberate and that's what they did. We now move forward and respect the jury's verdict."
Cantu will be formally sentenced in the coming days. He'll have to serve at least 30 years of his sentence before he's considered for parole.
