After nearly three decades, justice has finally been served in the brutal 1997 cold-case homicide of an unidentified man in Lenawee County, Michigan. Richardo Sepulveda, 53, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was sentenced to lifetime imprisonment on Friday by Judge Michael R. Olsaver in the 39th Circuit Court, following his conviction on multiple felony charges.
The sentencing, announced by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, brings a measure of closure to a case that has haunted investigators for years. In April, a Lenawee County jury found Sepulveda guilty of:
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder
- One count of Assault with Intent to Maim
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit Assault with Intent to Maim
- One count of Tampering with Evidence
- One count of Conspiracy to Commit Tampering with Evidence
The horrific discovery of the victim, known only as “John Doe,” occurred on November 19, 1997, in a cornfield in Blissfield Township. Police found the unclothed body of a male, meticulously dismembered, with both the head and hands missing.
Authorities noted apparent saw striations on the bones, indicating a deliberate and brutal act. The homicide has long been suspected to be linked to international drug trafficking activities…