TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — A man, Gerardo Salinas, has been convicted of the murder and dismemberment of his cousin in Tucson over four years ago.
Following a trial that concluded on Monday, a jury found Salinas guilty of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and abandonment of a body.
The victim, 17-year-old Sofia Hurtado, was killed by Salinas in March 2020 according to authorities.
Hurtado’s remains were discovered scattered across multiple burial sites throughout Pima County.
Salinas is set to be sentenced on June 24.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office released the following statement on Wednesday:
“The Pima County Attorney’s Office is pleased with the jury’s verdict convicting Gerardo Barraza-Salinas of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and abandonment/concealment of a dead body. Justice has finally been achieved for Sofia Hurtado and her loved ones. The case was a culmination of tireless efforts by prosecutors Brad Terrace and Ryan Gant, the Tucson Police Department as well as PCAO’s Victim Services and Detectives Divisions. The jury further found the following aggravating circumstances: 1) The infliction of serious physical injury; 2) The use of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; 3) The especially heinous, cruel, or depraved manner in which the offense was committed; and 4) The victim suffered physical, emotional, or financial harm. “He will be sentenced on June 24, 2024.”
Hurtado was reported missing on March 19, 2020, after Salinas picked her up from Mexico to visit family in Tucson.
Read the minutes from the final day of Salinas’s trial below:
