BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — A judge in Boulder County sentenced a Colorado man to spend nearly 50 additional years behind bars for the kidnapping and murder of Rita Gutierrez-Garcia.
Juan Figueroa was already serving a sentence of 93 years to life in state prison for an unrelated sexual assault case involving another victim.
He accepted a plea deal, along with written statements confessing to being the sole murderer of Gutierrez-Garcia, also pleading guilty to a kidnapping charge for 12 years that will be served concurrently with the murder sentence, and the sentence he is already serving.
Gutierrez-Garcia disappeared on St. Patrick’s day in 2018. In court, Figueroa broke down explaining how he was drunk that night, and when Gutierrez-Garcia called him a “weirdo” he snapped, punched her in the head, dragged her to his truck and strangled her.
Her remains were found in late April of this year in Weld County, east of Longmont, after investigators were given additional information.
Representatives from the District Attorney’s office and Gutierrez-Garcia’s family spoke after sentencing Friday. You can watch their remarks on FOX31 NOW in the player above.