A Texas woman was sentenced to 27 years in prison after she murdered her husband in 2012, just one day shy of their 32nd wedding anniversary.
Houston Chronicle reports that Sandra Melgar was sentenced in Houston on Thursday for killing her husband, 52-year-old Jaime Melgar, in what prosecutors said was a $500,000 insurance scheme.
On Dec. 22, 2012, Melgar stabbed her husband to death inside their Houston-area home in northwest Harris County. Melgar then tied herself up in an attempt to stage a home invasion. Friends arrived to the couple’s 32nd anniversary party the following day and found Jaime Melgar dead, and Sandra Melgar tied up in the master bedroom closet.
She brutally stabbed her husband, 52-year-old Jaime Melgar, on the eve of their 32nd wedding anniversary. Then tied herself up.
Posted by Chron.com from the Houston Chronicle on Wednesday, August 23, 2017
“Sandra Melgar hacked the life out of her husband … and for that she will spend the balance of her life on a cell block,” Harris County, Texas, Assistant District Attorney Colleen Barnett said.
The defense unsuccessfully argued that intruders stabbed the husband and tied up Melgar.
“Sandy Melgar got sucked into this by a couple of cowboys [in the sheriff’s office] who came up with some theories and game over,” her defense attorney Mac Secrest said. Where are the real killers? Are we going to see them in the courtroom anytime soon? I wouldn’t bet on it.”
According to the prosecution, divorce was not an option for Melgar since she was a Jehovah’s Witness. She was also afraid of being shunned by the community. Motivated by her husband’s insurance policy, Melgar brutally stabbed him 31 times.
Melgar then cleaned up the murder scene after she killed her husband, evidenced by cleaners and bleach on one of her fingernails.
“If I kill him, then I’m not ostracized — I get to hang out with my friends — and I get the money,” Barnett said in court, describing Megan’s thoughts and motivations.
After the conviction, Barnett thanked the jury for the patience and reminded the court that the victim was a “wonderful man.” Melgar’s friends and family sat shocked when the verdict was read. They let out loud shrieks and began crying as Melgar slumped forward in her chair.
“I would like to thank the jurors for their patience and attention throughout this long, difficult case. Jaime Melgar was by all accounts a wonderful man.”
Jurors deliberated around eight hours before they came back with a verdict.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
