El PASO, TEXAS
Samuel Velasco Gurrola, 41, is facing up to life in federal prison after a jury convicted him last week for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the slaying his wife, his wife’s father and her sister, according to officials.
He will be sentenced next month.
Jurors convicted Gurrola last week of three counts of conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and four counts of conspiracy to cause foreign travel for murder for hire.
The evidence indicated that in 2008, Velasco Gurrola was married to Ruth Sagredo Escobedo. At the time, Velasco Gurrola was under indictment in El Paso County for aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child, officials said.
Evidence further revealed that from September 2008 until November 2008, the defendant conspired with his brother, 30-year-old Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola and his sister, 44-year-old Dalia Valencia, and others to kill Sagredo while in Mexico in order to prevent her from testifying in the State case.
Testimony revealed that Samuel Velasco Gurrola arranged to have Sagredo’s father and sister killed in an attempt to lure Sagredo to Mexico.
On October 3, 2008, Francisco Maria Sagredo Villareal, Gurrola’s father-in-law, was murdered in his house in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
On November 20, 2008, Francisco’s daughter, Cinthia Sagredo Escobedo, was murdered in Ciudad Juarez.
Two days later, while traveling to her sister Cinthia’s funeral, Ruth Sagredo Escobedo was ambushed and murdered.
Prior to jury selection, Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to kill in a foreign country and one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute.
Dalia Valencia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the RICO statute. Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola and Dalia Valencia both face up to life in federal prison.
Sentencing is scheduled as follows: Emmanuel Velasco Gurrola – Dec. 6; Dalia Valencia – Dec. 15, and, Sammy Velasco Gurrola — Jan. 25.
All three remain in federal custody pending sentencing, officials said.