A Hayward man convicted of the 2022 beheading murder of his ex-girlfriend in San Carlos has been sentenced to 26 years to life in prison. The sentence was delivered Tuesday by San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Lisa Novak, who expressed that despite the maximum sentence meted out by law, it felt insufficient for the crime's severity.
Jose "Rafa" Solano Landaeta, 34, was found guilty in November for the slaying of 27-year-old Karina Castro, who was the mother of his child and killed outside her home with a samurai sword. Judge Novak condemned the crime as "true horror," and called the defendant "clever and manipulative," dismissing his mental health defense, as stated in a report by KTVU.
According to SFist, Landaeta's attorney had argued that Castro had previously threatened Landaeta's life on social media, and he acted in self-defense believing he was compelled to attack due to his schizophrenia. This argument was refuted in the trial, with the judge's assertion that untreated mental illness was not to blame for the manner in which Castro was executed.
Danielle Ganon, Castro's grandmother, beseeched the court to administer the severest punishment. She revealed her granddaughters' persistent nightmares and grief over the loss of their mother. Expressing the family's anguish, Mya Castro, the victim's sister, recounted before the court how her sister was the "glue that held our family together," as per the account by KTVU.
The case, marked by its brutality, has been a source of deep sorrow for Martin Castro, Karina's father who, in a statement obtained by SFist, expressed a hollow victory in the sentencing: "While I’m glad he’s going to be in prison for as long as possible, my daughter is still gone. My daughter was my life. I just want her back." Witnesses testified to the stark horror of the crime, recounting how Landaeta retrieved the sword from his car before attacking Castro in broad daylight.
