The man convicted in the 2023 killing of Robert Wise and starting fires at two Masonic lodges has been sentenced to life in prison.

Julio Diaz was sentenced on Monday, Sept. 21. He was convicted of murder and two counts of arson in August. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder charge and 50 years for each arson charge. Those 50 years are set to run concurrently.

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Diaz's case dates back to July 2023. Police arrested him two days after Wise was found shot outside the McAllen Masonic Lodge.

Diaz was also linked to two fires at separate Masonic lodges. One was a fire at the McAllen Masonic Lodge a year before Wise was shot. The second is linked to a Feb. 20, 2023, fire at the Weslaco Masonic Lodge, which destroyed the building.

After he was convicted, Diaz chose to have the judge decide his sentence rather than the jury.