A Bexar County jury sentenced Israel Anthony Cortez to 40 years in prison for manslaughter in the September 2023 stabbing death of his friend, Robert Neaves. The jury handed down its verdict and punishment on Monday, more than two years after Cortez initially told investigators a very different story about how Neaves ended up dying.
Cortez was originally charged with murder in Neaves' death, according to WOAI, but a jury ultimately convicted him of the lesser charge of manslaughter before delivering the 40-year sentence on Sept. 28, 2026. The Bexar County District Attorney's Office said Cortez faced an enhanced punishment range because he was a repeat offender and a member of a criminal street gang, per the station's report.
The case dates back to September 2023, when Cortez called 911 to report that Neaves had been injured in a fight elsewhere. San Antonio police found Neaves with a stab wound to his chest; he was taken to a hospital, where he later died, according to ksat.com. Cortez initially told investigators that Neaves had arrived at his home already beaten, bloody and stabbed in the chest, insisting he had nothing to do with the attack.
Witnesses and Surveillance Undercut Cortez's Story
That account quickly fell apart. Two people told police that Cortez admitted to stabbing Neaves during a fight, ksat.com reported, and video surveillance showed Cortez picking Neaves up several hours before the killing — directly contradicting his claim that he hadn't seen his friend beforehand, according to cbsaustin.com's reporting.
Cortez's own mother told police that her son had confessed to her that he killed Neaves, while another witness separately told investigators that Cortez admitted to the stabbing and described it as an accident. Investigators also found two knives at Cortez's house, one of which appeared to have blood on its blade, per ksat.com. Cortez was held in the Bexar County Jail on a $200,000 bond following his arrest, according to cbsaustin.com.
Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said the sentence holds Cortez accountable for Neaves' death, though he acknowledged the punishment can't erase the family's grief. “No sentence can undo the loss experienced by Robert Neaves' loved ones,” Gonzales said, adding that his office remains committed to standing with victims and their families.
Enhanced Sentence Tied to Gang Membership, Prior Record
Manslaughter is defined under Texas law as recklessly causing the death of another person, per Texas Penal Code Section 19.04. But Cortez's punishment range was raised well beyond the standard scope because prosecutors identified him as a repeat offender and a criminal street-gang member, triggering enhancement provisions outlined in Section 12.42 of the Texas Penal Code, which governs penalties for repeat and habitual felony offenders.
Early reports from 2023 differed on Cortez's and Neaves' ages — ksat.com identified both men as 25, while cbsaustin.com identified both as 23 — and that discrepancy was never resolved in the available reporting. What both outlets agreed on was the sequence of events: a friend showing up injured, a story that didn't hold up, and physical evidence that pointed back to the man who made the 911 call.
