Man Convicted of Beheading Ex-Girlfriend with Samurai Sword in California

Jose Landaeta was convicted Monday of killing Karina Castro, the mother of his 1-year-old daughter

A California man has been found guilty of beheading his ex-girlfriend with a samurai sword.

The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office said on X (formerly known as Twitter) Monday that Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta, 34, was convicted of the first-degree murder of mother-of-two Karina Castro, 27, in a street in San Carlos, Calif. in September.

According to ABC 7 in San Francisco, Landaeta is the father of Casto's 1-year-old daughter. She also has another daughter aged 7, reported the outlet.

In court, prosecutors argued that Landaeta was motivated to carry out the killing due to vengeance while his defense argued that he carried out the crime in self-defense while having mental health issues, according to NBC Bay Area.

His defense team also argued that Castro allegedly had knives, which were never recovered, and attempted to stab her ex-boyfriend. They also claimed that she had threatened his family and told him she put a hit on his mother, per the outlet.

Related: Woman Allegedly Beheaded in Calif. Street Identified, Her Father and Grandmother Speak Out

Landaeta and Castro’s arguments on social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat were presented in court and showed that Castro threatened to reveal alleged sexual encounters Landaeta had with an underage girl.

He also sent her emojis of a ninja and blood and threatened to take their daughter away from her, per NBC Bay Area.

Eyewitness testimony was also heard during the trial, with witnesses saying that they saw Castro and Landaeta get into a heated argument outside of her apartment before he returned to his car and pulled out a sword, reported CBS News.

During his arraignment, Landaeta pleaded not guilty because of insanity. Despite this, he could face 26 years to life in prison following his guilty verdict, according to Fox News.

The jury was asked to return to receive further instruction on deliberating on aggravating factors, including Landaeta's use of a sword to behead Castro, per NBC Bay Area.

Following the verdict, Castro’s father, Martin Castro, told reporters outside the San Mateo courthouse that he was "relieved, but not as much as I'd like to be,” per Fox News.

"While I'm glad he's going to be in prison for as long as humanly possible, my daughter's still gone. I don't find a lot of satisfaction out of this, but I'll take whatever I can get," he added.

Related: Texas Car Dealer and 2 Ex-Marines Face Life for Murder-for-Hire Plot to Cover Up Salesman's Affair

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The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office issued a news alert about the incident in September, which stated that an "adult male" was in custody for a woman's murder. It added that earlier that day witnesses had "flagged down" officers near Magnolia and Laurel about "an assault in progress."

At the scene, police found a woman who had died and later arrested a suspect after he returned to the location, the release continued.

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