A 26-year-old man was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison Monday for a murder in Santa Barbara in 2010.
Eutimio Aispuro pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the death of Samuel Bautista Justo, 36.
Justo was found dead in his Santa Barbara apartment on Sept. 20, 2010. He had been stabbed more than 50 times.
DNA found under Justo’s fingernails helped investigators identify Aispuro as the suspect.
Aispuro reportedly fled to Mexico after the murder. In 2016, he was arrested by Customs and Border Protection Authorities near Lukeville, Arizona for illegal entry into the United States. When Customs officials realized Aispuro had a warrant out for his arrest, they contacted the Santa Barbara Police Department.
According to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office, Aispuro confessed to investigators that he killed Justo after the two had a sexual encounter, then destroyed evidence and stole items from the victim’s apartment before fleeing to Mexico.