GREELEY — Concluding the longest criminal trial in Weld County history, District Court jurors Thursday found John Sandoval guilty of first-degree murder in the 1995 killing of his estranged wife.
Jurors returned the verdict just seven hours after they began deliberations. Sandoval was then sentenced to the mandatory term of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
For the past month, jurors had listened to witnesses struggle with 15-year-old memories, witnesses who weren’t interviewed until last year, analysts who couldn’t find strong DNA connections even with advanced technology, and expert testimony on dog tracking and domestic violence.
Sandoval, 45, was convicted of killing Kristina Tournai-Sandoval on Oct. 19, 1995, after a meeting with her. She was never seen again, but personal items of hers were found at his home the day she disappeared, and her car was found four blocks from his home.
