Court documents show that a 38-year-old man, identified as Armando, who was initially charged with several charges, including second-degree murder and tampering with evidence stemming from the death of his wife, identified as Erica, whom he killed with an ax, has pleaded guilty to the charges. This heinous act was committed while Armando was under supervised probation for a criminal ѕехuаl contact with a minor and wearing a GPS ankle monitor.
Erica was last seen alive on September 26, 2021. Her family reported her missing on October 1, just days after her murder in the forest. The investigation quickly focused on Armando as the primary suspect. Crucial to the case was the data from his ankle monitor, which contradicted his initial account of events.
Armando initially told police that he and Erica had been cutting wood in the forest on September 26 and claimed to have dropped her off at her residence early on the morning of September 28. Upon further investigation by the state police, a sergeant located a deceased female in the forest, matching Erica’s description. The body was later positively identified as Erica by the authorities.
During an interview with law enforcement on October 3, 2021, Armando confessed to beating his wife to death using an ax. He alleged that the murder occurred following an altercation in which he claimed Erica punched him, prompting him to retaliate violently. The murder weapon was found in Armando’s home. Armando entered a guilty plea to the charges. He was subsequently sentenced to a total of 24 years in prison, with 16 years for second-degree murder and an additional four years for each count of tampering with evidence. These sentences are to be served consecutively.
