A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison on October 11 for the 2009 murder of Domitila Alvarez, a 38-year-old mother of five. Jorge Trevino Cardenas, 52, Houston, was convicted after DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene.
Alvarez was found stabbed to death in her family’s auto shop in April 2009. Despite an extensive investigation, the case went cold for over a decade.
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In 2021, the Houston Police Department’s Cold Case Squad re-examined the evidence and identified Cardenas through a DNA match. Cardenas’ DNA was found on Alvarez’s clothing, the door leading out of the office, security bars, and a parked truck, indicating he had cut himself during the struggle.
Cardenas, who was already serving time for a 2014 child sexual assault conviction, was charged with Alvarez’s murder in January 2023. A jury found him guilty after a four-day trial.
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Prosecutors highlighted the importance of DNA evidence in solving cold cases. “DNA does not lie, it does not forget — it waits,” said Assistant District Attorney Christopher Condon. “It waits for the technology and the right circumstance to be revealed.”
Cardenas must serve at least 30 years before being eligible for parole.
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